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Chapter Text

Charlotte Heywood turned the page of the book of fairytales that she had been reading for the past few minutes, taking a brief break from the daily tasks that went with running her little bookshop in the village of Willingden; the village that she had called home all her life.

From childhood, Charlotte had loved fairytales, and, although as an adult she mostly understood that fairytales were fictional and often far removed from reality, still it was fun sometimes, to indulge in the fantasy of going on an adventure just like the princesses in her favourite stories, in a world full of magic, where she could ride on a horse through an enchanted forest; have her wishes granted by a fairy godmother; dance at a ball; experience a true love's kiss…

Charlotte was suddenly distracted from her book-and her daydream of experiencing her own fairytale-when she realised that she was not alone in the bookshop. As she brushed a stray curl away from her face, she glanced over her shoulder to see that Sidney Parker had entered the bookshop at some point while she'd been distracted by her reading, and he was now standing near the back of the bookshop.

Sidney was dressed in dark clothes, looking as mysterious as ever, and he even carried a pair of sunglasses in his shirt pocket, even though it was quite a cold and cloudy Thursday afternoon. He looked for all intents and purposes to be reading one of the latest editions of Pride and Prejudice that Charlotte had recently put out on display on one of the bookshelves, although his body language, and the way his eyes flickered around the room and in the direction of the shop window every few seconds, suggested that he was not really paying attention to the book and perhaps had other things on his mind.

Charlotte resisted the temptation to roll her eyes in exasperation at Sidney's unexpected presence in the bookshop. As usual, there was an arrogant air about him that suggested he considered the shop, and the village as a whole, to be beneath him.

Charlotte had already encountered Sidney Parker a few times over the past year, ever since he had started paying regular visits to Willingden, although Charlotte was unsure why he visited the village so often, not to mention that the residents of the village-the women especially-talked about him so often that Charlotte had also ended up hearing several stories about him from others.

And yet, Charlotte still did not feel that she knew Sidney at all, in spite of hearing so much about him. He was an enigma; the subject of gossip and rumours, rather than anything she knew to be a verified fact. She only really knew what she herself had observed…

Charlotte knew that it was not unusual for Sidney to be watched by giggling women as he walked around the main part of the village, and she knew that they all considered him to be very handsome.

Last year, Charlotte had seen Sidney a couple of times walking through the village hand-in-hand with an attractive, well-dressed blonde woman, but she had not accompanied Sidney on his more recent visits.

Charlotte had also seen Sidney Parker flirting with pretty barmaids at the village pub once or twice, and she had heard through village gossip that Sidney and a couple of his friends had been involved in a fight in the village once-outside the local pub after closing time, apparently-although Charlotte had never found out what the fight had been about.

Whenever Charlotte saw Sidney in the village, he was usually talking quietly on his phone, or into what looked like a walkie talkie, sometimes, although Charlotte was unsure why he carried a walkie talkie in the first place, and he always looked moody and like he wanted to be left alone. Charlotte had even heard him make the occasional sarcastic comment about the village as he talked on his phone, much to Charlotte's irritation. Willingden had its faults, of course, like anywhere else, but it was the place where Charlotte had grown up, and she had always felt rather protective of the village.

Sidney also frequently wore sunglasses and sat alone outside the local teashop or inside the village pub, seeming to observe what was going on around him as though from a great distance, looking like he was involved in some sort of secret mission-although this idea may or may not have been a product of Charlotte's overactive imagination-or like he had important business to take care of.

Charlotte tried not to wonder too much about what Sidney Parker actually did for a living, even though deep down she was a little curious, but she always told herself that she had much more important matters to focus on whenever she started to think about him too much, such as running her own business.

And so Sidney remained a mystery-to Charlotte, anyway.

Sidney had visited the bookshop several times since Charlotte had first officially opened the shop, and Charlotte often sensed that he only entered the bookshop to escape the people outside who were so fascinated by him-he definitely didn't seem to be a people person, but he also didn't seem to be much of a fan of the bookshop, either...

Sidney never seemed to look particularly enthusiastic whenever he walked among the bookshelves, and although he tended to glance more at the classic novels, nothing in particular seemed to catch his eye, and he often looked puzzled by Charlotte's choices of books to read during her breaks from stacking shelves and serving customers, especially the fairytale books.

A few months ago however, Sidney had actually bought a couple of fairytale books himself, much to Charlotte's surprise.

"I didn't think you were much of a fan of fairytales," Charlotte had been unable to resist commenting at the time, as she'd ran his purchases through the till, thinking of the way that Sidney had rolled his eyes on noticing her artistic fairytale display on his previous visit.

"Oh, these are gifts for my nieces and nephew," Sidney had replied curtly, sounding a little distracted. "Although, I will admit that stories such as these had their appeal for me, once upon a time…After all, I was young and naïve, once."

At the time, Charlotte had felt annoyed by his comments; she'd felt he was mocking her, looking down on her, indirectly calling her naïve due to her taste in books-he'd noticed her reading stories about princesses and magic and enchantments often enough, after all, and he must have at least guessed that she liked such stories.

She'd also wondered why he seemed to consider himself so much more mature than her when there was clearly only a few years' age difference between the two of them.

"Can I help you with anything?" Charlotte asked Sidney now, with forced politeness, back in the present moment on seeing his eyes flicker in the direction of the front cover of the book she was reading.

"No," said Sidney, almost sharply. It was clear that something was currently irritating him, and Charlotte wondered if that 'something' was her. "Thank you," he added hurriedly, probably on seeing the offended look on Charlotte's face. His features and his tone of voice softened ever so slightly as he continued speaking: "I simply decided to take refuge among the bookshelves for a little while, in order to avoid…unwanted attention," he explained as he nodded in the direction of the shop window.

Charlotte followed his gaze, and she noticed that a few young women were looking hopefully in Sidney's direction through the bookshop window, all of them looking like fans trying to catch a glimpse of a favourite celebrity.

Charlotte couldn't help it; she rolled her eyes as the women giggled and pointed in Sidney's direction, while Sidney discreetly took a step back, like he was trying to hide behind the nearest bookshelf.

She really couldn't understand why so many of the women in the village were so fascinated by Sidney Parker, as Sidney certainly didn't seem to care for their attention.

Before Charlotte could say anything else, two customers walked into the shop, and, almost reluctantly, Charlotte closed her book of fairytales before she went to speak to the elderly couple who had just walked in, asking them if they needed any help finding anything, and leaving Sidney Parker to his half-hearted turning of the pages of one of the bookshop's most popular novels as he continued to attempt to hide from his admirers.

After Sidney and the elderly couple left the shop, the rest of the day passed by relatively quickly.

Charlotte served a few more customers, offering a few book recommendations when asked, before answering a message on her phone from her sister, Alison in which Alison reminded her about their plans to meet after work, and asking Charlotte if she could try to finish work on time today and not stay too late, as Charlotte so often did.

After that, Charlotte completed a little of the paperwork related to new book orders and the business accounts. Running her own business could be tiring at times-there was always so much to be done, and there was the constant worry that the little bookshop in the countryside would not make enough money to stay open another year, and Charlotte usually spent most of the day on her feet, working hard, and there were sometimes the more awkward customers to deal with, along with the nicer ones, of course, as Charlotte had to keep reminding herself, but Charlotte really did love her job. Books and stories had always been her passion, and she loved the independence that came with running her own business and being her own boss.

She had experience of managing business accounts and keeping up with stock orders from the time she had spent helping her father with his own business during Charlotte's late teens, and she had some experience of working part-time in the local shops in and around the village, and now she finally felt like she was putting all of this experience to good use.

And, although her work had not made her rich by any means, Charlotte still felt like she had achieved success, in her own way, just by keeping the bookshop going from one day to the next, especially when it was located in such a small village, where the shop could certainly be very quiet on some days.

Charlotte took a moment to appreciate her surroundings as she placed a few of the new books on the shelves. The bookshop truly was her pride and joy…

The interior of the shop was in keeping with the old-fashioned style of the other shops in the village, and Charlotte liked to create the impression for customers that they had temporarily stepped back in time when they walked through the bookshop door, or into another world.

The bookshelves and tables were made from dark wood, and there were a couple of red rugs on the dark wood floor.

Near the back of the bookshop, a few armchairs had been placed around a wooden table next to the fireplace, and Charlotte had hosted many a book club and children's story telling session in that cosy corner of the bookshop.

Although the bookshelves were usually neat and tidy, Charlotte also liked to make slightly less orderly piles of books on the counter, and on display in the shop window, to try to create a more relaxed, home away from home atmosphere.

Charlotte sold a variety of books in the bookshop. There were the usual classic books for sale, along with the current bestsellers. There were also plenty of children's books, including Charlotte's beloved fairytales.

The fairytale display that Charlotte had recently put together took pride of place in the centre of the bookshop. It consisted of a little wooden table that had been covered in a purple and gold tablecloth, and there were several figurines on the table, along with plastic models of a castle, a forest and a tower that looked a lot like Rapunzel's tower.

Among the figurines were a king, a queen, a prince and a princess, as well as a knight riding on a white horse. Then there was a Little Red Riding Hood figurine, which had been placed close to the little plastic trees, as well as a unicorn, and even a few toy wolves hidden among the trees, to depict that subtle sense of danger that always lurked in the shadows of every fairytale. After all, the protagonists usually had to face a challenge or two, before they found their happy endings.

Charlotte liked to look at the fairytale display, even if Sidney Parker apparently did not.

Then there were the more romantic novels that were displayed at the front of the bookshop, as Charlotte had always enjoyed reading love stories, and she had spent many quiet afternoons daydreaming about finding her own true love; these stories gave her hope that this might be possible, one day; that maybe there really was a perfect person out there for everyone.

There were a few travel guides on display on a table near the main door; a table which Charlotte had decorated with miniature flags representing various countries around the world. There were so many places she dreamed of visiting, although she had had little time to travel lately.

Charlotte also tried to showcase new writers and lesser-known books, often displaying these books as part of her themed window displays, along with a choice of second-hand books, so that customers could have access to books at a more affordable price.

Charlotte had added a few personal touches to the bookshop, with framed photographs on the walls depicting various villages scenes and countryside landscapes, several of which Charlotte had taken with her own old-fashioned camera (which had been a gift from her late grandmother), as photography had been a hobby of hers for several years.

There were also a few pictures that showed famous literary quotes. Charlotte had always been a fan of Shakespeare's works, and she had recently added a picture that she had purchased from the local art shop that depicted the three witches from Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, gathered around a cauldron...

One of the play's famous quotes about meeting in thunder, lighting or rain had been painted in fancy handwriting above the artistic impression of the three witches in the picture. It was one of Charlotte's favourite pictures in the shop.

There was also a little plastic ornament of a sorceress looking into a crystal ball that Charlotte had purchased from Susan's shop just across the road and placed on the shop counter, as the ornament had reminded her somewhat of Macbeth, as well as a couple of her favourite fairytale stories.

Charlotte had recently been re-reading passages of Macbeth during her work breaks, and she'd wondered whether the witches' predictions about the main character's fate had ultimately influenced his actions and caused him to change his behaviour to bring said events about-after all, without the witches' predictions, Macbeth would have gone on happily unaware that his seemingly unlikely future as king had already been foreseen, and he would never have believed it to be possible, before the idea had been put into his head.

She had been thinking that perhaps this was a topic she could bring up for discussion during the next literary debate group that she was going to be hosting at the bookshop in a few weeks' time. She was interested to hear whether her customers believed that our destiny was already planned for us, or whether they believed our fate was in our own hands.

Charlotte enjoyed reading Macbeth, and watching live performances of the play, but her favourite Shakespeare play was Romeo and Juliet. She felt that Romeo and Juliet's love story had a beauty to it, amid the tragedy, which made the play even more fascinating.

An artistic interpretation of a young, beautiful woman standing on her balcony and looking out into the distance, as though her eyes were searching her surroundings for her true love, had also been put up on the wall behind the counter.

A notice board had been hung up on the wall near the shop door, with notices pinned up about various upcoming events in the village. Among the other notices, there was a leaflet advertising an upcoming performance of another of Shakespeare's famous plays, A Midsummer Night's Dream, which was going to be performed outdoors by a local theatre group in a couple of weeks, in the fields surrounding the village. The people who lived in Willingden usually enjoyed performances such as these, and Charlotte hoped that she could go and watch the play with Alison and her parents. Charlotte enjoyed the sense of community spirit in the village, and she liked to play her part by keeping her customers informed about events in Willingden.

Charlotte smiled to herself as she finished stacking shelves before she glanced up again at the picture of Juliet. She really did enjoy working at the bookshop. It was perhaps not what she had imagined herself doing during her teenage years, when her dreams and wishes had been on a much grander scale, and much more similar to the lives of the protagonists in the romance novels and the epic fantasy stories she'd always enjoyed reading, but Charlotte appreciated her work all the same.

And yet, Charlotte felt like a part of her would always be standing on a balcony like Juliet, looking out onto the horizon for something more.

At five o'clock sharp, Charlotte started to close the bookshop. She and her sister had arranged to go for a walk and maybe visit some of the local shops this evening, as several of the shops in Willingden stayed open late on Thursday evenings, before going to the local pub for food and drinks.

She did not want to keep Alison waiting, as she knew that Alison was concerned that Charlotte had been working too many hours lately, and she really did want to spend as much time with her sister as possible-Alison had recently attended trials to play for the England women's football team, after years of training and playing for local teams, and whether these trials were successful or not, Charlotte knew deep down that it wouldn't be long before Alison left the village for good to pursue her dreams, and then Charlotte would no longer be able to spend as much time with her younger sister as she usually did.

As she placed the 'Closed' sign on the front door and completed a few final checks, Charlotte couldn't help glancing longingly at a photograph that she had pinned up on the wooden notice board on the wall...

It was a picture of the ball that had taken place at the manor house almost six months ago; a grand house which was located just outside the village. A ball was thrown twice a year at the manor house, and attendance was by invite only; it was usually mostly wealthy, well-connected or upper-class ladies and gentlemen who attended, all of whom had connections to Lady Denham, the wealthy elderly lady who owned the manor and lived there for most of the year.

Many of the villagers had therefore never had the opportunity to attend the ball, but still, the photograph that had appeared in the local newspaper a few months ago of the couples who had attended, dancing together in the manor house ballroom while wearing their fancy ballgowns and suits, had made the ball look so beautiful that Charlotte hadn't been able to resist cutting it out of the newspaper and putting it up on the notice board.

Charlotte knew that looking at photos of the guests at the ball was likely the closest she would ever get to attending the event itself, as much as this thought saddened her.

Lady Denham was going to be throwing another ball at her home this weekend, and as much as Charlotte was looking forward to seeing all the new photographs of the event after it had taken place, she couldn't help feeling a little envious of the people who had received an invitation to attend.

She shook her head as though to clear it of these thoughts and tried not to dwell too much on not attending the upcoming ball. She had other things to do at the moment, after all.

Finally, Charlotte was ready to leave work for the day. She breathed in the fresh air as she left the shop and walked the short distance to the village square, taking in the sights and sounds of the village along the way…

Willingden truly was beautiful, with its two rows of old-fashioned shops at its centre, all of which lined a narrow, cobble-stoned street on either side. The little shops looked like something from a picture postcard, with their old-fashioned exteriors, and their large glass windows showing displays of the latest products on sale.

Charlotte had spent many a happy hour wandering through this central part of the village, going to the bakery to buy fresh bread; buying unusual dresses, jewellery and gifts from Susan's shop; buying honey and lavender and various other products from the organic food shop; treating herself to delicious old-fashioned sweets and chocolates from the traditional sweet shop where sweets were still displayed in glass jars on the shelves, and the shop counter looked like something out of an antique shop.

And there was the teashop, with its wooden tables and chairs, and brightly coloured cushions and delicate tablecloths. Charlotte enjoyed visiting the teashop with Alison and her group of friends on quieter Saturday afternoons, choosing between a selection of herbal teas and cakes on offer.

The sisters also enjoyed visiting the local, old-fashioned pub, which was located at the end of the row of shops, close to the village square. The pub was livelier than the teashop, although it seemed as though the décor hadn't changed for over a century.

There were several cottages scattered around the village, all built in the same style as the local shops, many with thatched roofs. Most of the villagers lived in these cottages, Charlotte's parents included, although some lived in flats above the shops, like Charlotte.

There was also a supermarket just outside the village, although it was much smaller than the typical supermarkets located in towns and cities, along with a few other shops and local businesses.

A stream ran through one end of the village, and Charlotte liked to spend time on the wooden bridge over-looking the stream on the days when she needed a little peace and quiet in order to gather her thoughts.

There was a church at the other end of the village, just past the village square, where Reverend Hankins gave his sermons, and beyond the church, Lady Denham's manor house was visible, along with the beautiful grounds that surrounded it.

As beautiful as the village was however, lately, Charlotte had been wondering if she would benefit from a bit of a change of scenery, a new adventure. Of course, there was something heart-warming about most of the locals knowing her personally and greeting her like an old friend whenever she walked into their shops, asking how everything was going at the bookshop and asking after her family, but everything was starting to feel a little bit repetitive in Willingden now.

The familiarity was reassuring at times however-her surroundings were generally safe and peaceful after all-but this year especially, it had felt as though each day were the same as the one before, and Charlotte knew that this was likely because not much had happened in the village lately, and not much had changed over the years. She also knew that she was much too young, in her twenties, to be feeling as though each day were the same as the last.

On the other hand, she tried to reason with herself as she got closer to the village square…she had commitments here in Willingden, with her family, and the bookshop, and her father had had some health troubles over the past few years; he might need some extra help with his business in the near future. Besides, Charlotte had not been presented with many opportunities recently to take some time away from the village. She couldn't even remember the last time she had taken a holiday.

As she took her last steps towards the village square, Charlotte overheard several enthusiastic conversations about the upcoming ball. Even though it was so rare to receive an invitation to attend, this didn't seem to have dampened anyone's enthusiasm about the big event, as the people around her speculated about who would attend, and the dresses the ladies would wear, and how the ballroom would be decorated, as well as the possible photographs that would appear online and in the local press.

Charlotte sighed to herself as she listened to all the gossip and speculation. She couldn't help it; she wished that she was going to the ball; it was something she'd dreamed of for what felt like years; she would love to have the opportunity to dance in the ballroom with a handsome man, even just once.

There was always the possibility that she could receive an invitation, one day, if she was very lucky, or if some sort of miracle occurred. Some people in the village were invited to attend, sometimes, usually as a reward for various charity work they had undertaken, or various positive contributions they had made to the village, but this had happened less often over the past couple of years. Most people who attended the annual ball were rich like Lady Denham, and they usually lived in London, or other big cities. It just didn't seem very likely that Charlotte would ever receive an invitation.

A few minutes later, Charlotte was waiting for Alison in the village square. The grey clouds in the sky threatened rain, although the sun also seemed to be trying its best to make an appearance.

While she waited, she glanced at the manor house in the distance. Charlotte had visited the manor house several times-a few times with her parents during her childhood, and most recently when Lady Denham had been feeling unwell, and Charlotte had taken flowers there as a get-well-soon gift for her.

Surprisingly, she had been invited inside to visit Lady Denham by a few members of staff who worked at the manor, and then she had been asked back to visit a couple of times after that. The visits had almost been fun, with Lady Denham offering Charlotte tea and cake and teaching her card games, with the two women sharing a bit of gossip about life in the village as they drank their tea. On the third visit, Lady Denham had even given Charlotte a tour of the manor's grounds, and Charlotte had enjoyed walking in the gardens.

Lady Denham was a bit intimidating, and she was often in a bad mood, but there was a kinder side to her, too, as Charlotte had seen during her visits, and she had interesting stories to tell, along with some rather amusing jokes.

Charlotte couldn't help wondering if Lady Denham had been lonely during her illness; there had definitely been a sense that something was missing in her life when Charlotte had visited, in spite of her wealth and her status and her beautiful home and her designer gowns, and perhaps Charlotte had provided her with much-needed company during a difficult time. Charlotte hoped that this was the case; she hoped that she had been helpful, in some way.

In spite of her previous visits, Charlotte couldn't help but wonder how the interior of the manor house would look on the night of the ball, as she was sure it would look different to how it looked day to day. She knew that it would look beautiful-even more beautiful than it already looked.

Again, Charlotte couldn't help feeling a sense of longing as she imagined what it would be like to walk around the manor house on the night of the ball and see first-hand how it had been decorated for the event, while perhaps also catching the eye of a man who looked like a fairytale prince.

Alison greeted Charlotte happily when she arrived in the village square, distracting Charlotte from her thoughts about the ball.

"Have you heard anything yet?" Charlotte asked her sister eagerly, in the same way that she had been asking her for days.

"Not yet," said Alison with a sigh, apparently understanding right away that Charlotte was asking her about her recent England football team trial.

Charlotte felt a tug of sympathy at Alison's obvious look of disappointment at not hearing any news about the outcome of the football trial yet, as Alison seemed to have convinced herself that the more time passed, the less likely it would be that she would hear good news, but then Alison seemed to quickly regain her composure…

"I'm determined to remain optimistic, Charlotte," she insisted, with a firmness in her tone that suggested that Charlotte should also remain optimistic on her behalf. "Who knows what the process is for making these decisions. Besides, even if I am not successful this time, it will only renew my determination to try out again next time. No matter what happens, I won't be defeated."

Charlotte smiled at her sister. She had always admired her ability to meet challenges head on, and to always keep trying, even in the face of defeat. Charlotte wished that she had more of Alison's resilience.

The two sisters strolled back through the village for a little while, enjoying the fresh air after a day spent indoors.

Charlotte had only been walking next to her sister for a few minutes when she noticed Sidney Parker walking a few feet ahead, talking on his phone.

The village was quite busy now as more people had finished work and headed outside, and there were a few people standing in between Charlotte and Sidney, but still Charlotte could overhear parts of his conversation…

"Oh yes," he was saying, his tone of voice full of sarcasm, "there is truly nothing else I would rather be doing on a Saturday evening. After all, what could be more enjoyable than spending an evening at a ball where I am despised by half the guests, and where the other half will only indulge in shallow, dull conversations for the entirety of the evening…"

Charlotte rolled her eyes and then shook her head in disapproval as she glared at Sidney's retreating back. She felt that his sarcastic comments about attending the ball-a ball that many people in Willingden were desperate to attend but were never invited-were terribly ungrateful. After all, it was such a privilege to receive an invitation in the first place, and very few people in the village ever got the opportunity, and yet, Sidney seemed to think that it was such a burden, to be asked to attend.

Charlotte hadn't even known that he was going to the ball. Clearly, he had no idea how lucky he was to have been invited in the first place.

As though to annoy Charlotte further, a few giggling young women passed Sidney just before he turned a corner and disappeared from view, all of them craning their necks to get a better view of him as he walked away.

"I wish he would ask me to the ball!" Charlotte heard one of the women say in a loud whisper to her friends, before they all burst into giggles.

"Honestly, I don't know what all these women see in him!" Charlotte said in a loud whisper of her own, her tone of voice full of irritation as she turned to look at Alison with another roll of her eyes.

"Oh, Charlotte, come on," said Alison with a smirk, "aren't you at least a little bit curious about solving the mystery that is Sidney Parker?"

"Certainly not!" Charlotte replied quickly, looking at Alison in shock, and wondering why she was fighting off a blush at the very thought of it. "Okay, he is handsome, I'll give you that...and well-dressed," she conceded after a few more moments of careful thought, as she had heard Alison say these things about Sidney Parker several times before, and she could see that her sister was reacting to her initial response with a raised eyebrow and a sceptical expression, as though she did not believe a word of Charlotte's protests. "But he is not the type of man I could see myself ending up with…"

Charlotte was careful not to admit out loud that the type of man she often imagined herself ending up with usually looked like one of the typical fairytale princes from a story book.

"After all," Charlotte continued, on seeing the look of disbelief on her sister's face, "Sidney Parker comes across as being so…arrogant, so distant and aloof. He never looks happy to be here, in the village, and he clearly thinks he is superior to all of us, in some way or another. Do you seriously think he would make good boyfriend material?"

Alison simply shrugged, looking like she was fighting off an amused-looking smile at Charlotte's reaction. She didn't look convinced by Charlotte's words, but she didn't push the matter any further.

Alison had just changed the subject, talking to Charlotte about a few mutual friends who lived in Cheltenham and occasionally came to visit the sisters in the village, when she suddenly seemed to tense up.

"Don't look now, Charlotte," she said in a low voice, looking over Charlotte's shoulder at something, or someone.

Of course, Charlotte just had to look…she glanced over her shoulder to see none other than her ex-boyfriend, James Stringer, who was leaving a shop further down the road hand-in-hand with his new girlfriend. The new couple leaned against the wall of the outside of the shop for a couple of minutes, their faces close together as they talked to each other with smiles on their faces, apparently oblivious to the fact that they were being observed by Charlotte and Alison.

"Charlotte, I'm sorry…" said Alison, not for the first time since the breakup.

"Alison, it's fine," Charlotte said quickly. "It's not like James and I are avoiding each other. We are both adults, and we can be civil. After all, our breakup was amicable, and he and I were friends once…I'm sure we can be friends again, one day…I'm happy for him, Alison," she added in a firm tone of voice, on seeing the doubtful look on her sister's face. She meant it, she really did.

Charlotte and James had dated for several months, until they had broken up a couple of months ago. James had moved on by getting into a new relationship rather quickly. Charlotte knew that her friends and family expected that she would be devastated by this, as she had always been a romantic at heart, looking for true love and feeling fearful of getting her heart broken, but Charlotte had found that she was nowhere near as upset by the breakup as others had thought she would be.

Truthfully, although Charlotte and James had been good friends before they had started going out with each other, and Charlotte had enjoyed the initial flirtation and going on first dates with James, the whole time they had been together, Charlotte had never really felt much of a romantic 'spark' between the two of them, and by the end of their relationship, they had seemed more like the best of friends than lovers.

There were not many young people in the village, and secretly, guiltily, there were times when Charlotte had wondered if she and James would even have dated in the first place, if they had had other romantic options and possibilities, or if they had lived in a bigger town or city.

Charlotte had also felt the added pressure of a lot of people in the village being invested in her relationship with James, rooting for the two of them to be together, which had definitely influenced Charlotte's decision to go on a first date with James in the first place, and maybe to stay in a relationship with him for a little longer than she should have.

Going forward, Charlotte was determined not to let those around her have any influence on her decisions again-her decisions regarding romance especially. If she was going to date again in the near future, then it would be entirely on her own terms, with someone she felt a deep romantic connection with.

Charlotte might not have been heartbroken over James Stringer, but still she couldn't help feeling a little glum as she let Alison lead her away from the main hub of the village and in the direction of the bridge and the stream. Seeing James with his new girlfriend had only served to remind Charlotte that she was all alone.

It seemed that James had found a new romance very quickly, but that hadn't happened for Charlotte yet, and for the first time in a while, she felt a bit lonely-she missed the companionship that being in a relationship brought, and she was starting to wonder if she would ever find a fulfilling, passionate romance like the romances in her favourite stories; if she would ever find that special someone like James seemed to have done.

Not for the first time, Charlotte wondered if living in the village was limiting her romantic prospects.

A few minutes later, Charlotte leaned against the little wooden bridge overlooking the stream of water that flowed through the outskirts of the village. As she watched the water running by, she thought again about the upcoming ball at Lady Denham's manor, and the discovery that Sidney Parker had somehow been given the opportunity to attend, and the idea that James Stringer looked so happy in his new relationship.

As though the sky could somehow mirror Charlotte's mood, it started to rain.

Charlotte tried not to let her troubled thoughts show in her facial expression as she put up her umbrella, but Alison must have picked up on something, because she suddenly said, "Charlotte! I know what we can do to cheer ourselves up…let's go and visit Susan's shop! I feel like we are both at a crossroads in our lives, and I'm sure that Susan will provide us both with the advice and guidance we need to take the next step."

Chapter Text

"Alison, I don't know…" said Charlotte hesitantly on hearing her sister's suggestion that they should go and visit Susan's shop to hear what she had to say about their current situation.

Susan owned a little shop that was just across the street and a little to the left of Charlotte's bookshop. The shop sold clothes, jewellery and unique and unusual gifts, and it was a place that locals and tourists alike enjoyed visiting.

Susan seemed to possess an infinite knowledge and wisdom about the world around her, and many customers also visited the shop to hear her advice and insights. There were even rumours that Susan was a little bit psychic.

Alison especially seemed to believe that everything Susan said was completely accurate, and Charlotte knew that this was the reason why Alison currently wanted to visit Susan's shop, as much as she loved browsing all the items on display there, too-she thought that Susan would have some words of wisdom for her, or a hint or a prediction about her future.

"I'm just not sure that there's anything Susan can say-or any items that I can buy in her shop-that would be of much comfort to me at the moment," Charlotte admitted, on seeing the questioning look on her sister's face. "Besides," she added, "the older I get, the more I'm starting to have my doubts about the accuracy of any of the 'predictions' that Susan has made-"

"Oh, Charlotte, when did you become so pessimistic?" Alison asked her with a laugh and an exasperated-sounding sigh.

Alison's comment, although only said in gest, got Charlotte thinking seriously for a few moments.

When had she become so pessimistic? After all, she once had believed so firmly in fairytale romances and happy endings, always insisting that good would prevail and kindness would win out in the end. And she had always followed Susan's advice to the letter.

She had always generally been positive and optimistic, seeing life in the village as beautiful and magical…but it seemed that something had changed recently, and Alison had clearly noticed Charlotte's increased pessimism.

Perhaps the pressures of running her own business, in an age when e-books were fast overtaking printed books in sales, and trying to ensure she made enough money each month to pay her rent and bills had made Charlotte slightly less optimistic. Or perhaps it had been the breakup with James, or seeing the struggles her parents sometimes went through to keep their own business going in a small village.

Life could be tough at times, and Charlotte wondered if it was really such a bad thing, that she was becoming more pessimistic? Was it not better to be more realistic, to avoid disappointment? Or was her increased pessimism stopping her from seeking a real romance and potential career advancement?

After a little more persuading from Alison, Charlotte found herself agreeing to going to visit Susan's shop, as she had known all along that she would.

It was only a few minutes' walk to Susan's shop. When they arrived, Charlotte heard the familiar tinkling of the bell when Alison pushed open the door and entered the shop first, with Charlotte not far behind her.

"Good evening," Susan said in greeting, the moment she caught sight of Charlotte and Alison.

Susan was the epitome of elegance like always, with her hair pinned up neatly in fancy silver clips, her make up perfectly applied, complete with bright pink lipstick, and she was wearing a long, flowing dress, as well as several rings on her fingers and a couple of bracelets on her wrists.

Susan always looked like she belonged in another time…perhaps a time when ladies wore bonnets or ballgowns and curtsied in greeting.

Susan had a warm smile, and bright eyes, but sometimes Charlotte sensed a hint of pain behind Susan's happy smile…a certain sadness in her past, perhaps. She also had an air of wisdom about her, as though she knew all the secrets of the world.

Both Charlotte and Alison smiled at her. Charlotte might have been feeling a little glum this evening, but it was nice to see Susan all the same.

"Charlotte," said Susan with a smile, "I had the strangest dream about you last night-you were in the throne room of a very grand castle in my dream, and there was a king upon the throne in the room. It looked as though you were dancing with a very handsome man. Perhaps you will soon meet your prince…"

"How interesting," said Charlotte. She was not being sarcastic; she honestly did think that Susan had had an interesting dream, although she was not convinced that it actually meant anything significant that applied to Charlotte's life, in the way that Alison would no doubt think it did. Charlotte did not want to start to obsess too much over the dream in the way she once might have, or read too much into it.

Susan frequently had dreams about the people in the village, and although there did sometimes turn out to be a hint of truth to these dreams, Charlotte felt that this particular dream of Susan's was a bit too vague to really mean anything specific.

Besides, Susan already knew of Charlotte's love of reading fairytales and stories about royalty-perhaps her dream about Charlotte dancing in a throne room was simply linked to that.

While Alison went to talk to Susan about her football trial, Charlotte browsed the items for sale in the shop.

Susan's shop was like a treasure trove of unusual gifts and styles of dress and brightly coloured fabrics. There was also a hint of a comforting lavender scent in the air.

Charlotte looked longingly at the elegant dresses made out of silk, imagining the jewellery she could accessorise each dress with, out of the choices of gold and silver jewellery on display.

Each dress on display was beautiful, and Charlotte wished she could receive an invitation to the ball and wear one of those dresses.

A blue dress that was on display in the window stood out to Charlotte, and she tried not to picture herself dancing in the ballroom with a handsome man while wearing that dress.

"You can't miss what you never had," she told herself in a stern whisper, trying to ease some of the longing.

Charlotte could hear some of Alison's conversation with Susan…

"I have a feeling you will hear good news soon," Susan was telling her. "I really feel like this could be your big opportunity, Alison."

Charlotte really hoped that there was truth to Susan's words this time, as Alison would be even more disappointed if people started to tell her that they were sure she would get a place on the England team, only to have her hopes dashed.

Charlotte continued to browse.

Eventually, a pair of high-heeled, blue shoes caught her eye. The shoes were very pretty; elegant and formal enough that they could be worn at a party, but not so extravagant that they were out of Charlotte's price range.

After a few minutes of deliberation, Charlotte decided to buy the blue shoes, trying not to think too wistfully about how the blue dress on display in the window would have perfectly matched the shoes, if only Charlotte had been able to afford to buy it.

She shook her head, as though trying to clear it of this more negative thought. The shoes would have to do, for now.

Charlotte went to pay for the shoes, standing next to Alison at the counter, who had decided to purchase a new scarf, along with a necklace and earrings.

Charlotte also noticed a new ornament for sale on the counter; the little ornament was shaped just like Cinderella's carriage in the fairytale-the carriage that had taken Cinderella to the ball-and Charlotte decided to buy it, along with the shoes, as she was sure that the carriage would look perfect as part of her fairytale display in the bookshop.

The two sisters watched with interest as Susan wrapped the items they'd just bought in tissue paper and put them into two colourful gift bags, adding a handful of little silver charms into each bag, as she often did with each purchase, with customers always appreciating the novelty of the additional items that were added to their shopping bags when they bought something at Susan's shop. It was like getting a free gift with every purchase.

The charms were selected by Susan at random from a large bowl on the counter. Charlotte decided that she would add her charms to one of her bracelets at home, and then she could wear the bracelet at the next party or event she attended.

Susan thanked Charlotte and Alison as she handed their bags to them, and the two sisters prepared to leave, saying their goodbyes to Susan.

Charlotte led the way out of the door, only pausing in the doorway when she heard Susan calling her name…

"Oh, and Charlotte?" she said as Charlotte turned her head to look over her shoulder at her. "I sense that you will receive a very important invitation soon," she said, in that dreamy, distant voice she often used when making one of her predictions. "You may be dancing with the man of your dreams sooner than you think..."

Charlotte could only blink in surprise several times, leaving Alison to say another goodbye to Susan for the both of them before she followed Charlotte out.

As she stepped outside into the cool, evening air, Charlotte didn't know what to think about what Susan had just told her. She had her doubts about the other villagers' beliefs in Susan's 'psychic abilities', but at the same time, the mention of an upcoming invitation seemed to be very coincidental, especially as Susan had already mentioned having a dream about seeing Charlotte dancing at a formal event.

Did it really mean anything? Charlotte wondered to herself, desperately trying not to get her hopes up. Could Susan really sense that an invitation was on its way to her? Or was she just talking very generally, perhaps saying the same thing to almost every customer who walked through the door?

But then, Susan had been accurate before about things that she'd thought were going to happen, and she didn't seem to be the kind of person who would just tell Charlotte what she wanted to hear.

Charlotte knew that it was probably well-known in the village that she was hoping to receive an invitation to Lady Denham's ball one day, but she didn't think that Susan would just repeat the rumours and gossip of the village-she had always seemed above all that, slightly at a distance from everyone else who lived there. And Charlotte was also fairly certain that Susan would not just get Charlotte's hopes up for nothing. Did Susan know something that Charlotte didn't?

Alison seemed to be watching Charlotte closely, as though trying to work out her reaction to Susan's words. "Let's go and get something to eat at the pub, Charlotte," she suggested, probably in the hope of distracting Charlotte from her confusing thoughts.

The pub was quite busy when Charlotte and Alison arrived, with a lot of the locals having headed there for food and drinks after work, but the two sisters managed to find a small wooden table for two in the far corner of the room, which was set a little away from the enthusiastic chatter of the other customers.

Today, bowls of fortune cookies had been placed in the centre of each table at the pub; various free foods and snacks were often put onto the pub's tables for customers to try, and Charlotte and Alison had always enjoyed trying the savoury food samples on offer before ordering their meals, or eating them as a dessert, when the food samples were sweeter.

They ordered their food, and Alison checked her phone several times to see if she had received any messages about the results of her football trial. Unfortunately, she still had not been sent anything.

A few local newspapers were on display on a wooden newspaper stand on the pub's wall, just behind Charlotte and Alison's table. Charlotte's eyes were drawn to a newspaper in the centre of the stand that showed the date from a few months ago, printed in the top right-hand corner of the front page. It was the most recent newspaper that was available to read at the pub. Like everything in Willingden, the newspapers remained stubbornly in the past.

'His Majesty's Holiday in Willingden!' the headline on the front page of the newspaper declared.

Charlotte frowned a little in surprise. "I didn't know that the King had visited Willingden," she said to Alison.

"Me neither," said Alison with a shrug. "Although, I suppose he would want to be discreet about any visits to towns and villages around the country when he has any time off, so that he can have some privacy while he's on holiday."

"I suppose," said Charlotte.

She could tell by her sister's tone of voice and body language that this topic didn't particularly interest her, so she decided to change the subject.

They talked a little about the paperwork that Alison had been doing for Charlotte and Alison's father's business-a business that was mainly involved in selling building supplies to local construction companies-as Alison had been working part-time for their father's business for the past few months, often helping with paperwork and the company's online promotion, but it wasn't long before the conversation turned to Sidney Parker, and his frequent visits to Charlotte's bookshop…

"Perhaps he is just shy?" Alison suggested, on hearing Charlotte's account of his latest visit to her shop. "He might be trying to think of a way to strike up a conversation with you, and he doesn't know how to connect with you yet-"

"I think you're giving his character far too much credit," said Charlotte with a shake of her head. She admired that both Alison and Susan always tried to see the good in people, but sometimes she worried that they both ignored people's more negative traits, which could leave them open to getting hurt. "After all," she added, Sidney did not seem to be very shy when he was talking to the blonde woman who he used to visit the village with, and he definitely doesn't seem to be shy when he's flirting with attractive barmaids here, at the pub, and I honestly feel like I am met with nothing but arrogance whenever I try to talk to him. Anyway, he only visits the bookshop to hide from his admirers; he is not there to see me. I don't think he likes me very much."

"If you say so," said Alison with a smirk, which only made Charlotte feel more irritated that Alison did not seem to believe a word she was saying. "I'm just saying," she added, on seeing the look on Charlotte's face, "perhaps there is more to him than meets the eye."

Charlotte wasn't convinced, and so she quickly changed the subject to talk about their recent purchases, promising Alison that she could borrow her new blue shoes if she wanted.

When they had finished eating, and their empty plates had been cleared from the table, Alison suggested that they have a look to see which charms had been put in their shopping bags, and then they could open a few fortune cookies to see what messages were inside. Charlotte knew that it would just be a bit of fun to look at the charms and open fortune cookies, but she could see the enthusiasm written all over her sister's face, as though she believed that the fortune cookies really would have the answers.

The sisters took their charms out of their shopping bags, and Alison was the first to put her charms on the table.

There was a charm in the shape of a trophy, and another in the shape of a medal with the number 'one' carved in its centre. Then there was a charm in the shape of a football, and another that looked like football boots, as well as a charm in the shape of a T-shirt that could easily be interpreted as the T-shirt of a football kit, and even a charm that looked like a tiny stadium.

Alison looked more than a little shocked by the matching theme of all her silver charms, and even Charlotte couldn't help staring at the charms in wide-eyed surprise. Susan could not have deliberately chosen these charms for Alison, as her selection of charms to go in each shopping bag had been completely random-simply a case of grabbing a handful of charms from a bowl without really looking at them.

And yet, the combination of charms seemed like far more than just a coincidence, and Charlotte was struggling to find a logical explanation for a combination that seemed to be so closely matched to Alison's hopes and dreams.

After seeing the combination of Alison's charms, Charlotte was more than a little eager to see which charms Susan had placed in her shopping bag, and she wasted no time in taking them out of the bag and placing them on the table, one after the other…

There was a silver charm in the shape of a crown, and another in the shape of a castle. There was one that was shaped like a horse, and another that looked like a flower, perhaps a rose. Then there was a charm that looked like a tree, and one that looked like a tower. Finally, there was a charm in the shape of a bridge; a bridge that looked like Tower Bridge in London.

Both Charlotte and Alison stared at the charms in fascination, before they looked at each other, wide-eyed.

There was a definite theme to Charlotte's combination of silver charms, too-royalty, perhaps? Or maybe even fairytales?

For all her newly acquired pessimism, Charlotte couldn't help but wonder if there was a significant meaning somehow, behind the combinations of charms that had ended up in her and Alison's shopping bags.

And she could hardly dare to hope, but she wondered if her charms were maybe hinting that she was about to meet her prince.

Next, Charlotte and Alison turned their attention to the bowl of fortune cookies on the table…

Charlotte broke a fortune cookie in two first, picking up the little piece of paper as it fell out of the broken fortune cookie…

You will attend a party with your true love, the fortune cookie predicted.

If only it were true, Charlotte thought. If only she really did have a fancy party to attend. Even better, if only her 'true love' (if there even was such a thing) were planning on attending the same party as her, whichever party that might be.

Charlotte couldn't help feeling a little intrigued as she opened another fortune cookie…

You have a knight in shining armour, the second fortune cookie declared.

Charlotte couldn't help laughing a little at that one. As romantic as the idea of having 'a knight in shining armour' seemed, she knew that the use of such a phrase was very unoriginal. She wondered how many of the other customers at the pub tonight would be getting the exact same message in their fortune cookies.

Still, Charlotte ended up opening a third fortune cookie, after Alison insisted that she didn't mind if Charlotte got more fortune cookies than she did…

You will soon dance with the man of your dreams, said the third fortune cookie.

Even Charlotte couldn't help but be taken aback by that message, especially after what Susan had just told her. She wondered if she really should keep insisting that all of this was just a strange coincidence, or whether she should start to think that there was more to it than that.

Alison seemed to read Charlotte's fortune cookie messages with interest before she enthusiastically broke her first fortune cookie to read her own message, while Charlotte was still in a bit of a state of shock…

"You will soon receive good news," Alison read aloud from her piece of paper, before she put it down and quickly broke a second fortune cookie in half…

Career success will be yours, the second fortune cookie predicted, and Charlotte could see the look of hope in Alison's eyes.

Again, both sisters looked at each other in wide-eyed shock.

Were they really receiving some kind of prediction, or hint, or sign from the universe, about what their futures would hold? Had they been shown subtle signs of what was to come, through the charms, and the fortune cookies, and Susan's words?

The next morning, business was slow at the bookshop.

Although Charlotte was a bit worried about the decrease in takings that would likely occur as a result of this quiet day at the shop, a part of her was relieved to have a bit of a break from the more difficult customers and long lines at the counter for a little while.

Besides, Charlotte was feeling a bit tired after lying awake last night thinking about everything that Susan had said to her and Alison, as well as the charms and the fortune cookie predictions at the local pub. Was there any truth to any of the (arguably) vague predictions, in the way that Charlotte's more optimistic younger sister seemed to think there was? Or was Charlotte just desperately wanting to believe that fancy parties and true love were waiting just around the corner, because her day-to-day life had started to seem a bit repetitive lately?

Trying to distract herself, Charlotte unpacked the latest stock delivery and displayed a few new books on the shelves before completing a bit of paperwork.

She then went over the plans for a few upcoming events that would be taking place at the bookshop, including the monthly book club and an author signing and a children's storytelling session. There was nothing Charlotte loved more than seeing people experience the joys of books and stories first-hand, and she loved that her shop provided a social hub of sorts for those who were feeling lonely or isolated and looking to make new friends while enjoying their hobbies and interests at the same time.

Just before lunch, Sidney Parker walked past the shop window, and Charlotte couldn't help (begrudgingly) thinking about how handsome he looked, dressed in a dark blue shirt and black trousers.

Last time she had noticed him walking past the shop window, Sidney had seemed to have been wearing some sort of earpiece, for reasons unknown to Charlotte, although it was notably absent this time. Still, an air of mystery seemed to follow Sidney Parker with every step he took.

Again, Charlotte wondered what he did for a living. She was sure that somebody in the village would know, but she felt like it would be an invasion of Sidney's privacy to start asking around for information about his job title, especially as she didn't know him very well, and he hadn't told her himself, and Charlotte knew she would be embarrassed to just ask him outright.

Sidney nodded politely at Charlotte through the window when he noticed her looking at him, and Charlotte fought off a blush as she nodded back at him, wishing he hadn't caught her staring. Again, she couldn't help wondering why he visited the village so often.

As Sidney faded from view, Charlotte also noticed that it had started to rain again, with droplets of water falling heavily on the shop window outside. She couldn't help glancing over her shoulder at the picture of the three witches, before reading the Shakespeare quote written at the top of the picture…

'Where shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?'

Charlotte smiled to herself on reading the quote, wondering why she had suddenly been drawn to it.

As she carried on with her work, she couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed that it was almost summer and so far, the weather in Willingden had been rather miserable.

It was a little after lunch when the bookshop door finally opened and Charlotte heard the sound of footsteps as someone walked into the shop.

Assuming that the person was a customer, Charlotte looked up from the book about Shakespeare's plays that she had just been glancing at (one of the books that had arrived with the latest stock delivery, as Charlotte was anticipating that customers might want to purchase more books about Shakespeare, when the local theatre group started performing his plays outdoors near the village over the summer), and she had to cover her mouth to hide her gasp of surprise when she realised that it was Lady Denham who had just walked into the bookshop.

The book that Charlotte was holding fell out of Charlotte's hands and onto the counter with a loud bang that echoed around the quiet room.

"L-Lady Denham," said Charlotte as she straightened up a little and quickly tried to regain her composure.

"This bookshop is still rather small," said Lady Denham, by way of greeting.

Charlotte didn't really feel too insulted by Lady Denham's comment-by now, she was used to the elderly woman's sharp tongue and blunt words, and Charlotte knew that Lady Denham did have a good heart, somewhere beneath the tough exterior.

"What can I help you with today?" Charlotte asked her, still trying not to look too surprised to see her at the bookshop.

Lady Denham did visit the bookshop every now and again-she liked to be well-informed about everything that was going on in the village, the local businesses included-and she did buy books sometimes, but her visits had been less frequent over the past year or so, which Charlotte had attributed to her recent health problems.

Lady Denham looked rather regal, as she always did, dressed today in a long, dark coat, elegant-looking gloves and a large hat that looked like it would be better suited to a much more formal setting. She was also carrying a small handbag that looked like it cost more than Charlotte earned in a month.

She was a commanding figure, and Charlotte almost felt intimidated by her unexpected presence at the bookshop.

"I have something for you," said Lady Denham with a flourish, as she reached into her bag and took out a small, old-fashioned looking envelope, which she handed to Charlotte over the counter.

Charlotte opened the envelope and took out the piece of paper inside that had been neatly folded and tied with a light pink ribbon.

It couldn't be…could it?

With shaking hands, Charlotte untied the ribbon and unfolded the piece of paper, and then it was though time stood still…

Feeling as though her eyes were deceiving her somehow, Charlotte read over the words on the piece of paper that had been written in fancy silver handwriting...

It was an invitation, to Lady Denham's ball. The ball that was taking place tomorrow.

Charlotte's heart started to pound against her chest as her eyes widened in shock.

The invitation provided details about the date and time of the ball, as well as the address of Lady Denham's manor house and information about the time that the food would be served. There was a code on the top right-hand corner of the invitation, which Charlotte assumed the guests would have to show on arrival to be scanned for security purposes, and the words, Charlotte Heywood and guest had been written in the centre of the invitation.

Charlotte blinked rapidly several times, feeling as though the words would suddenly disappear from the page if she did not ensure that they were definitely real.

With her heart still beating fast, she looked up at Lady Denham.

"I-is this real?" Charlotte asked her, her voice trembling. She still could not believe it. It seemed too good to be true.

"Why would it not be real?" Lady Denham asked Charlotte with a frown as she looked down at the piece of paper in Charlotte's hands.

"What I mean is, this isn't some kind of practical joke, or a dream, is it?" Charlotte asked desperately, still expecting to wake up at any moment. She hoped that this wasn't the case-she felt as though some sort of miracle had just occurred, and she would hate for it to be taken away now.

"Why would this be a practical joke?" Lady Denham demanded. "You know I have little patience for such things, as I have told the boys in the village repeatedly!"

"But…why?" Charlotte asked her, still in shock. The idea that she had received an invitation to the ball at all felt so impossible, and she felt like she needed some sort of explanation.

"You made an effort to visit during what was a difficult time in my life," said Lady Denham, almost reluctantly, as though she did not much like giving compliments, her expression still rather stern. "You took the time to visit me-time that was no doubt valuable to you, and could have been spent making money for your business, and yet you still showed up dutifully for several visits, expecting nothing in return. I have also heard many times from the locals that you have contributed a lot to the village, to the community. They all speak very highly of you. Not to mention the many, many not-at-all-subtle hints I have heard from Susan and your sister that you are deserving of an invitation…" she said with a roll of her eyes.

Charlotte would have laughed at that comment, if her hands hadn't still been shaking, and her heart hadn't still been racing.

"I thought it was about time that your kindness was rewarded," Lady Denham added as she nodded in the direction of the invitation, her tone softer in a rare moment of vulnerability. "Besides," she added, suddenly sounding more like her usual self, "there was a last-minute change of plan when one guest was…uninvited, due to his recent poor behaviour." She sniffed in apparent disapproval. "I was very displeased by the whole affair."

Charlotte sensed that whatever had happened had been very upsetting for Lady Denham, but she also sensed that this was a personal, private matter that she did not wish to go into detail about. Lady Denham was usually so vocal about her thoughts and opinions that Charlotte knew that if she wanted to share, she would.

She wondered if she should have been offended by the idea that she had only been invited to the ball at the last-minute because there was somebody else who was now not allowed to attend, and Charlotte was simply taking that person's place, but she found that she wasn't really too upset by this. It had always seemed so unlikely that she would ever get an invite to go to the ball at all, and now, circumstances had aligned so that she finally had the opportunity. She felt grateful, more than anything.

Besides, Lady Denham had just been talking about her so positively, with rare praise indeed, coming from her, while also mentioning what had been a difficult time in her own life, and Charlotte wondered if Lady Denham was perhaps just trying to deflect a little, to play down just how much she was praising Charlotte, as well as masking her own vulnerability.

"I think Sidney was also hoping to be uninvited, although perhaps for different reasons," said Lady Denham with another roll of her eyes. "He's a friend of yours, isn't he? Perhaps your invitation to the ball will make him more willing to go to the ball, as he seems to dislike most of the guests who usually attend. Heaven knows why..."

"Sidney and I are not friends," Charlotte said quickly, instantly recalling Sidney's sarcastic comments about her love of fairytales.

She wondered where Lady Denham had got that assumption from. She also found it interesting that Lady Denham had all but confirmed that it was Sidney who disliked the guests who attended the ball, rather than the other way around, as he had seemed to imply during his phone conversation yesterday. Somehow, Charlotte wasn't surprised.

She wondered why Sidney was so reluctant to attend the ball. Was he really so unappreciative of Lady Denham's hospitality?

"Oh, really?" said Lady Denham, looking mildly surprised. "He seems to visit this bookshop often enough. Either way, he had no such luck on being uninvited," she declared with a look of exasperation. "He is well aware that it would reflect badly on me, if he did not attend an event of mine while he was here in Willingden, and he knows that he is expected to attend tomorrow. If only he would accept that events such as this one are supposed to be joyous occasions, rather than an arduous task to be endured! Did you know that the King himself attended, only a year ago! If the ball is good enough for the King, then it is certainly good enough for Sidney Parker, as I asked the King to remind him!"

Charlotte wasn't sure if this information about the King's attendance at the ball, or Lady Denham's conversation with him, was really true, as Lady Denham did have a tendency to exaggerate, but perhaps someone from the royal family had been there, at one of the events hosted by Lady Denham.

However, from what Lady Denham had said over the past couple of minutes, Charlotte was starting to realise that Sidney Parker perhaps knew Lady Denham better than she had thought. She wondered what the connection was between the two of them. Perhaps it was a business connection, as Lady Denham seemed to have a lot of acquaintances who were successful in the business world.

Charlotte was tempted to ask Lady Denham a little more about the mysterious Sidney Parker, but she could tell from Lady Denham's body language that she was getting ready to leave the bookshop now, and therefore probably wouldn't be willing to share much more. It seemed that she had done what she came here to do, and as far as she was concerned, the conversation was now over.

"You can bring your sister to the ball, if you wish," said Lady Denham as she started to walk out the door. "The invitation says, 'Charlotte and guest'. I'll see you on Saturday, Miss Heywood," she declared with a final flourish as she headed outside, closing the door behind her and starting to head through the street in the direction of her manor, with a few people who lived in the village nodding politely at her as she passed, leaving Charlotte to continue to stare at her invitation in disbelief.

As soon as the clock struck five, Charlotte hurriedly locked up the shop and ran through the main street of the village as fast as her legs could carry her, her invitation held tightly in her hand, half-believing that it would disappear if she did not keep it close to her. She ran in the direction of her parents' house, where she knew that Alison was likely to be.

The buildings in the village looked like a blur as she passed them, and she could barely remember running over the bridge.

She could still hardly believe what had happened today; that she was holding an actual invitation to attend Lady Denham's ball on Saturday evening in her hands.

A few of the people in the village gave Charlotte strange looks as she passed them, but Charlotte didn't care. She just wanted to find her sister, to tell her about the invitation; to have someone else acknowledge that this was real; that it wasn't just a dream. It all felt so unlikely, after all.

What a strange and unlikely coincidence it all was, especially after everything that had happened yesterday evening. Had Susan been correct in her predictions after all?

Charlotte burst through the front door of her parents' house the moment she arrived, calling out for Alison as soon as she was inside the house.

She found her sister in the living room, standing by the fireplace.

"Alison, I have the most amazing news to tell you-" Charlotte began, as she took rapid steps into the living room, before she stopped herself.

Alison was staring as though transfixed at something on her phone, greeting Charlotte with nothing more that a quick incline of her head, and immediately Charlotte sensed that she was distracted by something important, and perhaps she hadn't even heard Charlotte bursting through the door.

"Alison, what is it?" Charlotte asked her tentatively, starting to feel a bit concerned. Had Alison just heard some sort of bad news?

Without speaking, Alison held up her phone so that Charlotte could read the message on the screen.

As Charlotte read the words on the screen, she felt her heart rate increase again.

Alison's football trial had been successful.

She had been offered a place on the England women's football team.

The words to confirm this were right there on the screen, as plain as day, followed by lots of information about initial meetings and training schedules and the signing of contracts.

"Alison," said Charlotte, in barely more than a whisper, the full impact of Alison's good news really starting to hit her now after a few initial moments of shock. "You've been accepted onto the team!" she suddenly cried out, her voice a lot louder now.

"I've been accepted onto the team!" Alison repeated, a grin slowly starting to spread on her face.

The two sisters jumped up and down in celebration, pausing every now and again to hug each other.

There were tears in Charlotte's eyes as she hugged her sister…tears of both joy and sadness. She was so happy for Alison, and so proud of her, and she knew that this was what Alison had dreamed of for years, and Charlotte only wanted what was best for her, but the sadness was there all the same, on hearing the news of her sister's future confirmed…

Alison would definitely be leaving Willingden now-Charlotte knew that it was inevitable, and she could not prolong her departure any longer. Her presence would be required elsewhere for training and matches and promotional events. Alison would no doubt be travelling a lot, too, to play matches all around the country and abroad. Charlotte knew that she would not see her sister as much from now on, and this idea was painful to her.

The sisters would not have their almost daily face to face conversations. Charlotte could not just run down the road to talk to Alison whenever she had news to share with her, or something important to tell her, or when she just needed a shoulder to cry on.

Alison was about to go on an adventure, and Charlotte would still be here, in the village…It was a sobering thought.

But Charlotte knew that she could not be selfish. Alison was about to live her dreams, and Charlotte was happy for her. She knew that she could not hold her sister back, and so she continued to celebrate with her.

"I still can't believe it, Charlotte!" Alison told her older sister breathlessly after they had jumped up and down in celebration for a little while longer. "It all feels like a dream! I'm so happy, and so nervous at the same time, and it still doesn't feel real!"

"This is real, Alison," Charlotte reassured her sister. "It's all real!"

"You're the first person I've told," said Alison, still looking like she couldn't quite believe it. "I haven't even told Mum and Dad yet. I can't wait to see the look on their faces when they come home from work, and I tell them!"

"They'll be so proud, Alison," Charlotte promised her.

"Wait," said Alison, "there was something you wanted to tell me, too, wasn't there?" she asked Charlotte, looking very curious now.

"Oh, that's not important right now," Charlotte said quickly, with what she hoped looked like a casual wave of her hand. "This is your moment." She didn't want to take this moment of celebration away from her sister.

But Alison, perhaps sensing that Charlotte had big news of her own that she wanted to share, insisted that she wanted to hear what Charlotte had to say.

"Charlotte…wow, I can't believe it," said Alison in an awed whisper, the moment Charlotte showed her the invitation to the ball. "Susan's predictions really are coming true, as well as the charms and the fortune cookies…"

Charlotte wanted to say that she didn't know if they should be giving a few predictions, charms and fortune cookies so much credit, as all of it seemed a little silly, on reflection and in the light of day, but she didn't feel like now was the right moment for more pessimism.

"Lady Denham said that you could go, too, as my guest," Charlotte told Alison instead with a smile. "So, we will both have the opportunity to go to the ball!"

Alison's expression suddenly became serious, and there was a sadness in her eyes now, too. "Charlotte, I can't," she said, her tone almost sympathetic as Charlotte stared at her in surprise and bewilderment, wondering why Alison could possibly be declining an invitation to attend Lady Denham's ball-the event of the season. "I have to attend my first meetings and training sessions this weekend," Alison explained, as she opened up her training schedule document on her phone that she'd received as part of her acceptance email. "Wow, this really is all happening so fast," she said breathlessly, more to herself than Charlotte. "I won't have to train every weekend, but I really want to make a good first impression and give the team my entire focus this weekend. I'm not sure that spending Saturday night partying at the ball would go hand-in-hand with that, especially when I'll have an early start on Sunday morning…and, looking at this schedule, I'm not sure I'll be in the village much at all this weekend."

"I understand," said Charlotte, and she did, she really did, in spite of her disappointment.

"But there's no reason why you can't ask somebody else to go with you," said Alison, in a reassuring tone of voice. "Perhaps there's a handsome man in the village you haven't yet told me about who you might want to ask," she giggled. "Or you could go with one of our friends?"

"There's nobody I'd rather go with than you," Charlotte told her truthfully, blinking back a few new tears as she remembered the games the two of them had played as children, where they'd both imagined that they were princesses, attending Lady Denham's ball. Charlotte had always hoped that the two of them would attend the ball together, one day, if an invitation was ever received.

Charlotte had other friends in the village, but none that she was as close to as Alison. Charlotte often felt that many of her friends who she had met in Willingden were closer to Alison than they were to her, and with the long hours that Charlotte spent working at the bookshop, and with so few people her own age living in the village or even visiting as tourists, Charlotte often didn't have many opportunities to make new friends and build up a big social circle. She often felt that she had more meaningful conversations in Willingden with the elderly customers who regularly visited her shop, rather than with people her own age. She also knew that her parents had never been interested in attending the ball, and they often worked extra hours at weekends. And so she could not really think of anyone else close to her who she wanted to ask to go with her to the ball, and it wasn't as though she had any romantic prospects at the moment, so she couldn't really bring a date…

"Then you must go alone," Alison told her, her tone firm now, as though it were of great importance that Charlotte attended the ball, and she was now concerned that Charlotte would find an excuse not to go. "You can't miss out on this opportunity, Charlotte…it's going to be a big night for you, I can just feel it…there's something magical in the air at the moment."

It suddenly occurred to Charlotte that although Alison had enjoyed dressing in pretty dresses as a little girl and pretending to attend the ball with Charlotte, Lady Denham's ball was no longer Alison's dream. Perhaps it never really had been her dream. Alison's dream had already come true, and for a while now, Charlotte had known deep down that Alison cared little for the parties and the invitations that the village had to offer. Her dreams were much bigger than that now. Perhaps receiving an invitation to the ball had just been Charlotte's dream all along.

"I already have my golden ticket," said Alison, as though she could read Charlotte's thoughts somehow, as she held up her acceptance email again. "Now it's time for you to find your happy ending."

Chapter Text

The next morning, Charlotte found herself pacing the living room of her parents' house, where she had stayed last night, with what seemed like a thousand thoughts running through her mind, too excited about the ball that would be taking place in a matter of hours to sit still.

She had tried her best to get a good night's sleep last night, telling herself that she needed to be well-rested in order to truly enjoy the ball, but her sleep had been somewhat disturbed by a very strange dream…

In Charlotte's dream, she had been running down steep, stone steps on a dark and stormy night, as though frantic to get away from something-from what, she did not know.

Her dream-self had looked over her shoulder to see the dark grey exterior walls of a castle towering over her. The castle had looked as though it had been taken from a gothic novel. It seemed that Charlotte had been running down the castle's steps in her dream, trying to escape the castle itself, which was strange, as Charlotte had always been fond of castles in her real life, usually eager to visit them and to go inside. She wasn't sure why her dream-self hadn't seemed to want to be inside the castle, and had instead wanted to get away, especially as she had looked up at the sky in her dream world to see that it was the dead of night, with hardly any stars in the sky.

In the distance, a forest had been visible in Charlotte's dream. Charlotte had run towards the tall, green trees, suddenly desperate to get closer to the forest, despite how foreboding it looked. She'd felt a strong sense that there was something, or someone, important waiting for her deep in the forest; something important that she had to discover there.

She'd decided that it was worth the risk of running through the dark forest to get to where she needed to be, even though she'd had no clue in her dream why she needed to be there in the first place. All she'd known was that it seemed much more important in her dream world to run towards the forest, and not towards the castle.

And so, Charlotte had done just that, running as fast as she could in the flowing, old-fashioned dress she'd been wearing in her dream and entering the dark forest through a gap in a couple of the trees.

Although only in a dream world, Charlotte had heard every rustle of the leaves as she'd taken her first steps through the forest; every snap of every twig on the ground.

The trees had seemed to be whispering to her…whispering words of warning, somehow, with each rustle of their branches, telling her of something malevolent lurking nearby…

Charlotte had started to listen to what the trees were trying to tell her, and, when she'd really focused, she'd heard them clearly, even though they were only speaking in a collective whisper, their words carried by the wind.

The trees had all been saying the same thing, whispering in perfect unison…

"Something wicked this way comes…" they had chanted, over and over, quoting a famous line of Shakespeare's from his play, Macbeth. The words had sounded so close, as though each line of the Shakespeare quote had been whispered directly into Charlotte's ear, the message just for her.

And then Charlotte had heard it…a low growl, coming from just behind her, the sound threatening, aggressive, primal…

Her heart beating fast, even in her dream world, Charlotte had frozen to the spot and then looked over her shoulder to see a menacing-looking wolf standing only a few feet away from her, baring its teeth.

The wolf's yellow eyes had been focused right on Charlotte. It had let out another growl, even louder this time, and then Charlotte had woken with a start, her heart racing as she sat bolt upright in bed and covered her mouth with her hand to avoid letting out a loud gasp that could wake others up.

It had taken a long time for Charlotte's heartrate to return to normal after she'd woken up from her dream, and even longer for her to fall asleep again. Even as she'd drifted back off to sleep, the images from the dream had seemed to flicker in front of her eyelids, invading her thoughts.

The dream had left Charlotte feeling a bit perplexed, and from the moment she'd woken up again later in the morning, she'd puzzled over what it could possibly mean, and what her subconscious could be trying to tell her.

She could not even talk to her sister about it, as Alison had left the house (and Willingden) early to attend football training and her initial England football team meetings.

As the morning had gone on however, Charlotte had tried to be more rational about her dream, telling herself that she was probably just overtired after working hard recently, and more inclined to strange dreams and daydreams after receiving an unlikely invitation to the ball, and she'd also been reading a lot of Shakespeare lately during her brief breaks in work, along with pages of gothic novels and fairytales.

Charlotte was interrupted from her conflicting thoughts about last night's dream by the sound of knocking on the front door. She went to answer it, expecting to see one of her parents' friends at the door, and so she was rather surprised when she opened the door to see Susan standing in the doorway.

"Charlotte," Susan greeted her warmly with a smile when she saw that it was Charlotte who had answered the door. "I thought you might be here today."

"Susan," said Charlotte in reply, hoping that her surprise at seeing her wasn't written too obviously on her face.

She noticed that Susan was holding a package that was wrapped in delicate blue tissue paper and tied with a white ribbon, with a fancy bow at the top. Charlotte wondered if her parents had ordered anything from Susan's shop recently.

"Oh, this is for you," said Susan, on seeing what Charlotte was looking at.

Charlotte frowned in confusion. "But, I haven't ordered anything from your shop…" she began, before Susan gently interrupted her…

"This is a gift," she said. "Just for you." She placed the package in Charlotte's hands before Charlotte could speak again. "You should open it, and see what's inside," she added, with another smile, perhaps on seeing the look of doubt on Charlotte's face.

Hesitantly, Charlotte untied the ribbon and started to unwrap the package. As she moved the last of the tissue paper aside, Charlotte could see the beautiful blue dress that she had been looking at in Susan's shop yesterday.

Susan must have seen her looking at the dress and sensed just how much Charlotte longed to wear it.

"Susan," said Charlotte with a gasp, "I-I can't accept this…"

It is too much, was the unspoken implication behind Charlotte's words, which Susan seemed to instantly pick up on.

"Charlotte," she said, her tone gentle, "you have done a lot for me since I first moved to the village, offering valuable advice on setting up a shop here, and you even bring free books from your shop whenever you can. After hearing that you had been invited to a certain ball," she added with a knowing smile, "I wanted to do something to repay your kindness."

Charlotte was a little curious as to how Susan had found out so quickly that she had received an invite to the ball, but then, it often seemed like Susan knew about everything that happened in Willingden, and Charlotte wouldn't have been surprised if Lady Denham had told her directly. Besides, she had a slightly more pressing matter to discuss with Susan at the moment.

"I know that we do not always see eye to eye sometimes with our…beliefs," said Susan, "but I like to think that you and I are friends-"

"Of course we are friends, Susan," Charlotte said quickly, and she meant it, too. She felt a bit sad, at the idea that she might ever have acted in a way that could have made Susan doubt their friendship.

Perhaps she really had been a bit distant with people in the village over the past couple of years, what with all the pressures she'd experienced in trying to keep the bookshop open, and her recent breakup with James.

"However," Charlotte added, "I feel that this gift is far greater than my bringing a few books to your shop." It feels like something I won't be able to repay, she thought to herself.

This was a dress that Charlotte would not have been able to afford under normal circumstances; a dress that she could be taking away from someone who had the money to buy it; someone else who really wanted it; someone who might make the journey to Willingden to buy it for a special event, only to discover that it was no longer available in the shop. And Charlotte couldn't help feeling guilty about all that.

It was tempting however, to simply accept the dress, as Charlotte did not really have many available options for what to wear tonight, especially at such short notice, and with very little disposable income after she paid all her monthly bills and expenses. She'd resigned herself to borrowing a dress of her mother's, or one belonging to her sister, or altering one of her old dresses to make it look a bit nicer. But she knew it would be so much more magical, to have a new, beautiful dress to wear.

"Then consider it a loan, if that would ease some of your concerns about accepting it," said Susan with a gentle smile. "If you find you have no further need of the dress after the ball, then you can simply return it."

Charlotte wondered what events Susan could possibly think she would be attending after the ball that she could wear the blue dress for. Already, a night at Lady Denham's ball felt like the most exciting thing that would happen in Willingden for the rest of the year.

"I feel that this ball will be the start of a very important journey for you," said Susan, as though she could read Charlotte's thoughts. And again, Susan had that look in her eye, as though she were seeing some sort of vision that nobody else could yet see.

Not for the first time, Charlotte couldn't help wondering if there was any truth to Susan's words.

Eventually, Charlotte decided to accept Susan's gift, telling herself that she could always return the dress after the ball, and hoping that putting her trust in Susan's wisdom would pay off.

"You could come to the ball with me, as my guest," Charlotte suggested to Susan, after thanking her for the dress and explaining that Lady Denham had given her a 'plus-one' on her invitation.

Susan, however, declined the invitation to go as Charlotte's guest. "Believe it or not," said Susan with a smile that did not quite meet her eyes, where there was a little hint of sadness that Susan did not seem quite able to mask before Charlotte noticed it, "I already have an invitation to attend as someone else's guest, through a very dear friend of mine, so I am sure I will see you there."

Charlotte was a little surprised that Susan had been invited to attend, but she also felt relieved that there would be one friendly face at the ball at least, even though she felt like she wasn't getting the full story behind Susan's invite to the ball. It was yet another mystery.

"I am certain however," Susan continued, with a significant look at Charlotte, "that you have the confidence to attend on your own. You should not worry, if you cannot find someone to attend the ball with. You are equal to every lady in a fancy ballgown on the dance floor tonight, and you should hold your head high and be confident walking your own path. Perhaps you will make a connection with somebody special while you are there…"

This felt like yet another of Susan's mysterious predictions, and Charlotte felt a thrill at the idea of this prediction coming true; that she might really meet someone special at the ball. After the miracle of receiving an invitation in the first place, and the further miracle of being able to go to the ball wearing a beautiful dress that she had never thought she would be able to afford, Charlotte was now a little more inclined to be more optimistic and to believe in the seemingly impossible.

"Perhaps I will," said Charlotte with a smile.

She knew it was unlikely that Susan would elaborate on what she had just said, as she rarely gave more information than what she believed to be strictly necessary. Charlotte would just have to see for herself if anything Susan had said came true.

Charlotte thanked Susan again, telling her that she was looking forward to seeing her later at the ball, and then two women said their goodbyes.

After Susan had left, Charlotte decided to take a walk around the village, to get some fresh air, clear her head and calm her nerves a little before she started getting ready for the evening.

She walked past the main rows of shops, greeting a few of the people who also lived in the village along the way, as she often did.

Charlotte hinted to a few of the women who she knew well that she was allowed to bring a guest to the ball, but although they all seemed happy for her that she had received an invite to attend, none of them seemed particularly interested in attending themselves, and most of them seemed to have other plans for the evening. Their lack of enthusiasm for attending the ball made Charlotte wonder if it had only ever been her dream to go to the ball, rather the dream of everyone who lived in the village.

Charlotte was reluctant to ask any of the men in the village to be her 'plus-one', as she did not want to give any of them the wrong idea about her intentions for asking them to the ball.

And so, after a few more minutes of walking through the village, Charlotte decided to take Alison and Susan's advice, and attend the ball alone.

Charlotte headed away from the main part of the village, suddenly in need of a little solitude. She walked over the bridge and in the direction of the woodland nearby.

There was a little wishing well just on the edge of the woodland, and people who lived in the village, as well as the tourists who visited Willingden, loved to visit the wishing well so that they could throw coins in and make a wish, which meant that there was often a small crowd gathered around it.

However, there was currently nobody else at the wishing well.

Charlotte took a spare coin out of her pocket, deciding that today was a good day to make a wish, even though she had never particularly believed in such things before now.

"I wish to find true love, and adventure," Charlotte said in barely more than a whisper as she tossed the coin into the well.

She knew that her wish was rather cliché, but she couldn't think of anything else she wanted more at this point in her life.

Besides, it was not as though she particularly believed that wishes could come true, so it was only a bit of fun.

After she had made her wish, Charlotte headed back to her parents' house to start getting ready for the ball.

She felt a sense of sadness, that her sister could not be at home to help her get ready, as the two sisters had often enjoyed getting ready for parties together, but Alison still wasn't home yet after leaving Willingden earlier in the day to travel to her initial England football team meetings and attend her first training session. However, Alison had promised to do her best to get back to Willingden before Charlotte left for the ball, so she could see Charlotte in her ballgown.

Charlotte tried to remain positive as she started getting ready, reminding herself that Alison was off on an adventure of her own, doing what she loved, and Charlotte was determined to support her every step of the way, even the times when she would miss out on having her sister by her side at important events.

Charlotte had the blue shoes that she had recently purchased from Susan to wear, along with her new blue dress. Her mother had lent her a beautiful silver necklace and earrings, and Alison had given her a fancy little silver handbag as a gift from her last birthday that would be perfect for an evening event. Charlotte had also added the little silver charms she had received a couple of days ago to a silver chain, turning them into a bracelet. She felt like wearing the charms at the ball tonight would bring her good luck, somehow, or perhaps another miracle.

Charlotte's father had travelled to Alison's meetings with her, but Charlotte's mother was at home to help Charlotte get ready, including helping Charlotte to pin her hair up using several pretty silver hair pins that would sparkle at the ball whenever they caught the light.

Luckily, Alison managed to make it back home before Charlotte left for the ball.

"Charlotte, you look like a princess!" she shouted as she ran into the living room, eager to see Charlotte in her dress.

The two sisters talked enthusiastically among themselves for a few minutes, with Alison updating Charlotte on her day of training and meetings. She told Charlotte about how a press release was being prepared, to announce that Alison had joined the England team.

The two sisters paused constantly in their conversation so that Alison could take photos of Charlotte in her dress, and Charlotte was glad that she would have her memories of getting ready for the ball captured in photographs.

Soon, it was time for Charlotte to head to Lady Denham's manor.

Alison had to be up very early on Sunday morning for further football training, and so she was planning on heading to bed as soon as Charlotte left for the ball. She pulled Charlotte in for a hug when Charlotte was heading to the front door, looking a bit tearful, as though suddenly overcome with emotion.

"I hope you have a magical evening," Alison whispered in Charlotte's ear as she held her close.

As the two sisters stepped apart, Charlotte made another wish that this really would be an evening to remember.

Charlotte's mother also gave her a hug, and then Charlotte walked out the door with a final wave goodbye.

Charlotte's father walked with her through the little main street of Willingden and in the direction of Lady Denham's manor house, and Charlotte was grateful for a reassuring presence by her side as she began her journey.

The sky was already dark, but the moon and the stars shined brightly in the darkness. Charlotte linked arms with her father, holding onto him tight as he helped to steady her while she walked over cobbled stones in her high heels.

It wasn't long before the manor house came into view.

Charlotte and her father paused for a few moments just outside the gates so that Charlotte could take a few deep breaths to calm her nerves.

Charlotte's father turned to look at her, looking surprisingly emotional for somebody who was usually rather stoic and guarded with his emotions.

"I want you to know how proud I am of you, Charlotte," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "You have worked so hard, setting up your business, and you are doing so well, facing all the challenges that go with running a business head on. You have also helped me a lot with the running of my own business, and everyone in the village speaks very highly of you. And look at you now, on your way to a ball at Lady Denham's manor…"

Charlotte blinked back a few tears, feeling suddenly emotional on hearing her father's words. Her dad was a very practical man, and he did not often share his inner most thoughts, and Charlotte was therefore especially appreciative of his words of praise.

She smiled and made a joke about not wanting to smudge her mascara, but she could tell that her father understood just how much his words meant to her.

Charlotte said her goodbyes to her dad, thanking him for his kind words, and he wished her an enjoyable evening.

After looking over her shoulder to wave goodbye to her father, Charlotte walked towards the manor's exterior gates, with her invitation held tightly in her hand. She would be taking this next part of her journey alone.

There were security guards stationed all around the outside gates of the manor, inspecting invitations. Charlotte waited in line at the nearest gate and held out her invitation for a security guard to check when she got to the front of the line, as well as giving her full name when asked. The security guard also scanned Charlotte's invitation, reminding Charlotte that although the manor house looked like it belonged in another century, she was still very much living in modern times.

While all of this had been going on, a small line of other guests had formed behind Charlotte. Charlotte had the strange sense that someone was standing rather close to her, perhaps even reading her invitation over her shoulder, but it was difficult to make things out clearly in the dark, and before Charlotte could look over her shoulder to double check, the security guard nodded, handing Charlotte's invitation back to her, and the gate was opened so that she could enter the grounds of the manor.

A tall-looking man also stepped through the gate a few seconds after Charlotte, but then he seemed to distance himself the moment Charlotte started walking, and he had already vanished into the small crowd near to Charlotte on the path by the time Charlotte turned around to glance in his direction.

The man appeared to be wearing a Venetian style mask, similar to the glittering masks that a few of the other guests were wearing, which truly made the event look like a fairytale ball.

It was too dark to make out anyone's face clearly, and Charlotte reasoned that the man had perhaps thought he recognized her for a moment or two, as a lot of the guests heading into the ball certainly seemed to know each other, and maybe this was the reason why he had initially been walking close to her. He had likely then realized that he did not in fact know Charlotte and had then walked away from her.

Charlotte carried on walking up the long pathway that led to the manor house's front doors. It was easier to see her surroundings more clearly now, as the path had been lined on either side with artificial candles, which made the pathway look especially beautiful. Other pathways nearby had also been lined with lanterns, creating a sense of stepping back in time, into another era.

To her right, Charlotte could see the long driveway that led up to the manor doors. Several fancy cars were currently driving down the driveway, on their way to drop off guests at the main doors. A few guests had even hired old-fashioned carriages pulled by horses to take them to the ball, and Charlotte paused to stare in fascination as a silver carriage pulled by white horses made its way up the driveway. She truly felt like she had just stepped into a fairytale.

The manor house loomed up ahead of her, the exterior walls partially covered in ivy and honeysuckle. The house had also been decorated with fairy lights for the evening, and the lights seemed to twinkle in the moonlight.

Charlotte walked slowly up the path, wanting to savour the moment, and pausing every now and again to take photos on her phone that she could send to her sister and her parents.

All around her, she could hear the excited chatter of other guests as they passed her on the path.

Finally, Charlotte walked up a few stone steps before she stopped outside the manor's large, wooden doors, which were situated between two very fancy-looking stone pillars.

Her invitation was checked again at the doors, and then two staff members who worked at the manor held the door open so that Charlotte could step inside.

Charlotte stepped into the manor's large entrance hallway. She had walked through this hallway several times before, and she immediately recognised the red carpet on the floor; the staircase with its wooden banister leading to the upper floors of the manor; and the large wooden grandfather clock leaning against one of the walls that looked like a priceless antique. However, the hallway looked a bit different this evening, as it was a hub of activity, and it looked even grander than usual, with smartly dressed members of staff greeting beautifully dressed guests as they walked into the house, directing them into the ballroom as a couple of people played songs on violins as guests walked by.

Again, Charlotte paused for a few moments to take in her surroundings, and to admire the elegant dresses of several of the women who had just walked in, before she headed in the direction of the ballroom.

When Charlotte reached the end of the hallway and stepped through the open wooden doors into the ballroom, she had to stop all over again to take it all in…

There was a polished dance floor in the middle of the large room, surrounded by round tables that had been covered with expensive looking tablecloths and silver cutlery. There was also a raised platform next to the dance floor, and several musical instruments had been placed on top of it.

A spiral staircase led to an upper floor, and Charlotte could see several little wooden balconies on the upper floor over-looking the ballroom.

She could see what looked like torches lighting up each balcony, providing extra light in the room, and almost making the room look as though it were part of some sort of medieval story. Charlotte was unsure however whether the torches were actually lit up with real flames, like they would have been in the past, or whether they were artificial, which would be more likely, and much more practical. After all, Charlotte reasoned, not everything could be like it was in stories.

Charlotte looked up at the room's high ceiling to see three large, intricately designed chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

There were several large windows with long, flowing curtains around the room, through which the moon and stars were visible in the night sky, making the room look even more magical.

There were also several doors all around the ballroom that seemed to lead to various side rooms and hallways, and large glass doors opened out into the manor's gardens.

Charlotte walked even further into the room, spinning almost in a full circle as she tried to somehow view everything at once. She looked up at the ceiling again, before she took a few more photos to send to her family.

Charlotte had arrived quite early at the ball, but already a small crowd of people had gathered in the ballroom, with groups of people still walking in from the entrance hallway, and smartly dressed waiters and waitresses walking among the guests, carrying silver trays of canapes and glasses filled with champagne.

Charlotte took some time to walk among the groups of people assembled in the room, admiring their outfits and catching snatches of their conversations as they talked among themselves.

From what she could hear, Charlotte could tell that many of the guests had travelled from one city in particular…

"How are things in London?" she heard one woman ask another.

"I haven't seen you in London for a while," she heard another woman say to a man who was standing close to her.

"How was the journey from London?" she overheard a man ask another man.

Charlotte was very aware that most of the guests in the ballroom seemed to know each other, or at least seemed to be friendly acquaintances, and many seemed to spend time in London together, and all of this made Charlotte feel a bit nervous, almost as though she were a new student starting at a school where she didn't know anybody.

She looked around the room for Susan, but she could not yet see her among the crowd.

Charlotte glanced over her shoulder just in time to see Sidney Parker enter the room. His presence at the ball seemed to attract a lot of attention, and Charlotte noticed that many of the women who were standing close to the door threw admiring glances in his direction as he walked in.

Charlotte had to admit, if only to herself, that Sidney looked very handsome, dressed in a tuxedo and a matching black dinner jacket and trousers, with silver cufflinks fastened into the cuffs of his white shirt, but she couldn't help feeling a bit annoyed on seeing that there was a frown on Sidney's face, and, despite the air of confidence he was projecting, everything about his body language seemed to state that he did not want to be at this event.

And yet, he still looked so handsome, even with a frown on his face.

It was a new and confusing feeling to Charlotte, to frequently think that a man was so handsome, but at the same time to feel feelings bordering on dislike for that same man. The contradiction that Sidney Parker presented to her made her feel rather befuddled.

Sidney walked further into the room, moving a bit closer to where Charlotte was standing, although he did not seem to see her there. He approached a woman with pale skin and long, red hair who was wearing a flowing, silver dress. The woman was pretty, with an almost regal air about her in the way she held her head high and surveyed the room with an appraising expression and a subtle curl of her lip. The quality of her dress and jewellery suggested that she was quite rich, but there was a sadness in her eyes, and she looked almost lost as she turned slowly to face Sidney while he walked towards her.

She seemed to be at a great distance from the other guests, many of them leaving plenty of space between themselves and the woman as they walked past her, while the woman even looked at a few of them with barely disguised contempt. She looked lost in her own world, like a ghost who was stubbornly haunting a place that had once been the source of great personal pain.

Sidney greeted the red-haired woman with a kiss on her cheek, the seemingly rare affectionate gesture from him suggesting that the two of them knew each other well. Apparently, Sidney could show kindness to some people, at least.

Charlotte wondered if Sidney and this woman were dating, as it seemed that he was no longer seeing the blonde woman who he used to visit the village with, and Charlotte hadn't seen him flirting with any of the barmaids at the local pub for a while…but then Charlotte quickly told herself that Sidney's love life was none of her concern.

"How are you?" Charlotte heard Sidney ask the woman. "I have been worried about you," he added in a low voice that Charlotte could barely hear. There was definitely concern in Sidney's voice, and Charlotte wondered what had happened to this young woman, for Sidney to be so worried about her.

Charlotte shook her head, telling herself again that none of this was any of her business.

Charlotte couldn't hear what the red-haired woman said to Sidney in response, as her words were swallowed up in the noise of the other people who were gathered around her and Sidney, but as Charlotte started to move away from the two of them, she was sure she heard the woman say to Sidney: "I see my godmother forced you to be here, too," which left Charlotte feeling even more confused, and she was left with more questions than answers after hearing Sidney's interaction with this woman.

Charlotte did not know the full story, but she almost couldn't believe that there was a second person here who did not seem to have wanted to attend the ball.

It wasn't long before Charlotte noticed that a few of the guests had already started to head to the tables where the evening meal was going to be served, and so Charlotte decided to do the same, feeling relieved to have something to do and to shift her focus away from Sidney.

She glanced at the seating plan, which had been displayed on a stand near to the tables, and then she made her way over to her seat, where she found her name written in fancy handwriting on a little card at her place at the table.

Charlotte noticed that Mrs. Griffiths, a lady who ran the local charity shop, was approaching the table, closely followed by Mr. Hankins, the Reverend at the local church. Charlotte knew that they could both be a little pompous at times, but still she was relieved to see familiar faces at her table.

Mrs. Griffiths and Reverend Hankins both asked if Charlotte was having a good evening when they arrived at her table, and neither of them looked particularly surprised that Charlotte had received an invitation to attend, which Charlotte was thankful for. She felt a little less out of place, knowing that neither was shocked to see her at the ball.

They were soon joined at the table by a few people who worked for charitable organisations, most of whom Charlotte recognised from their frequent visits to the village for fundraising events. Charlotte also recognised the elderly couple who helped to organise the outdoor theatre performances close to the village, who had just joined the table. A place had been set for any guest that Charlotte might have chosen to bring, but Charlotte reasoned that with her decision to attend the ball alone, there would at least be a little extra space at the table.

The table was beautifully decorated, complete with fancy silverware, silver candelabras, and even white roses placed in a silver vase at the centre of the table.

After they were all seated, Charlotte heard Mr. Hankins compliment Mrs. Griffiths on her choice of dress, while several of the other guests talked about recent charity work that they had been doing.

When all the people at the other tables in the room were seated, the food was served by waiters and waitresses who carried the plates on silver trays.

Each course was delicious, with edible decorations used on each plate to make the dishes look like a work of art. Charlotte took a few more pictures with her phone so that she could send photos of the food and the table decorations to Alison.

The conversation flowed easily over dinner, even though Charlotte didn't really know most of the people sitting at her table very well. The guests at the table talked about upcoming charity projects, life in the village and the shops and businesses in Willingden.

"I really enjoyed attending your book club at your bookshop!" said one woman, when Charlotte told her a little about where she worked.

"My grandchildren love going to the storytelling sessions whenever we visit the village," said an elderly man at the table.

"Your bookshop truly is wonderful!" Mr. Hankins told Charlotte. "There's an excellent selection of books!"

Charlotte beamed with pride as everyone else at the table nodded in agreement. She was glad that her bookshop was having a positive effect on the community.

She looked around the room while the dessert was being served. She saw that both Sidney and the red-haired woman were sitting at a table with Lady Denham (who looked very elegant dressed in a long, dark blue dress), which Charlotte took as evidence that they must be close to her, or they both moved in rather prestigious social circles, or both. Like Sidney, the red-haired woman looked like she did not want to be there, despite her place of honour at the table next to Lady Denham. After Lady Denham leaned over to say something to her, she threw down her napkin, stood up quickly and walked away from the table, heading in the direction of the gardens.

Sidney nodded politely at Charlotte when he noticed her looking in his direction, but he seemed…distracted, like his mind was elsewhere. And then Charlotte realised that she had effectively been caught her staring at him, and staring at his table at a time when there was some sort of drama going on, and she flushed with embarrassment and looked away, focusing her attention on her own table again.

Mrs. Griffiths started to ask questions about Charlotte's decision to attend the ball alone, and whether she was yet seeing anyone after her breakup with James Stringer. She was known as a bit of a gossip in the village, but thankfully, an elderly woman at the table, perhaps sensing Charlotte's discomfort, interrupted to ask Charlotte if she had any recommendations for new books to read that she could buy at the bookshop, and Charlotte was glad for the change of subject.

After dessert had been served, a band assembled on the raised platform next to the dance floor and picked up their instruments, and then the music began.

As the notes of the first song began to play, a few couples headed to the dance floor, moving almost in perfect sync as they bowed to their partners and then moved closer to each other to begin a slow dance in time to the music.

The dance was very formal in style, but it also seemed intimate somehow, with slow music playing and everyone on the dance floor dancing close to their partner. This was definitely a dance for couples.

It was magical to watch, and Charlotte tried not to feel a sense of sadness that she did not have a special person in her life to share such a dance with.

The next few dances were in a similar style, and Charlotte contented herself with watching each dance, mesmerised by every single dance step, and admiring all the ladies' beautiful dresses. It was like watching a live action fairytale.

As the music continued to play, Charlotte got up from her seat and walked around the room to get a better view of everything, sipping a glass of champagne as she went.

Finally, she noticed Susan on the dance floor, dancing with a man who was wearing a silver Venetian mask, and yet, from what Charlotte could see of the man's face, there seemed to be something familiar about him, almost as though Charlotte had seen him on the cover of a magazine or newspaper before.

Susan smiled warmly at Charlotte when she caught her eye, but from the way she had been looking so intently at the man she was dancing with, and the way she was dancing so closely to him, holding his hand so firmly in hers, as though afraid he might vanish at any moment, Charlotte could tell that this was a private moment between Susan and this man; a man who clearly meant a lot to her, and Charlotte did not want to take any of Susan's time and attention away from the man she had attended the ball with.

Charlotte had never seen this man before in the village, and she knew that Susan often spent her days working alone in her shop. Charlotte guessed that Susan maybe didn't have much time to spend with this man in her day-to-day life, and this ball at Lady Denham's manor was one of the rare occasions when the two of them could spend time together.

Charlotte smiled at Susan, and then she continued walking around the room, giving Susan and her date some privacy.

She walked to the other side of the ballroom, a little further away from the dance floor, and she leaned against the nearest wall as she watched another dance.

There was an open door near to where Charlotte was standing, and Charlotte could hear voices coming from the nearby hallway. There seemed to be some sort of argument going on. The voices in the hallway got a bit louder, and Charlotte recognised the voices as belonging to Sidney and Lady Denham.

Her curiosity getting the better of her, Charlotte moved a little closer to the door to listen to the discussion going on…

"I have no idea why you will insist on ruining your evening in anticipation of a conflict that is very unlikely to happen. He is not here!" she heard Lady Denham say.

"You don't know that for sure…" Charlotte heard Sidney reply.

"Oh, there is no need for you to patrol the manor as though you are on security duty," said Lady Denham, in a tone of exasperation. "You are not at work now!"

Again, Charlotte felt curious about what Sidney Parker did for a living, but Lady Denham didn't reveal any further information before Sidney spoke again…

"Somebody has to be alert and cautious, for Esther's sake-"

"You don't have to be on duty, on guard, all the time!" Lady Denham responded. "This is your chance to enjoy yourself. I worry you are wasting opportunities to find happiness, to find love! Heaven knows I wasted enough of my own youth in pursuit of the wrong things-"

"This is different," Sidney replied quickly, sounding a bit irritated now. "This is about protecting my family. Besides, my profession is a part of who I am. I cannot just switch off from it so easily-"

"At least try!" Lady Denham responded with a sigh. "For all our sakes. I will not have you brawling here like you did at the local pub!"

Charlotte wondered who it was that Sidney was so concerned about showing up at the ball. The thought of somebody who could potentially disrupt the evening in some way showing up at the ball made her feel a bit anxious.

What had this person done that was so bad that Sidney was determined this mysterious stranger would not enter the manor house this evening? Could all this have something to do with the person who had recently been uninvited from the ball by Lady Denham? Why had they been uninvited in the first place?

Charlotte wondered if there really was some sort of drama playing out behind the scenes at the ball that she was unaware of. Whatever it was, it had certainly put Sidney on his guard.

She also wondered who 'Esther' was, and how she was involved in this drama. Could she be the red-haired woman who Sidney had been talking to for most of the evening?

Charlotte tried her best to put these anxious thoughts out of her mind, telling herself that she did not know the full story, and it was unlikely that Sidney or Lady Denham would tell her.

"You really should be making more effort to enjoy your evening!" Charlotte heard Lady Denham tell Sidney. "You have been working far too much recently. It's about time you learned to appreciate the joys in life that can be found when you are off duty!"

Charlotte could suddenly hear Lady Denham's and Sidney's footsteps approaching her, and so she quickly moved away from the door before either could catch her listening in.

As Charlotte took steps away from the open door, she felt like Sidney Parker was an even bigger mystery to her than he had been at the start of the evening.

Charlotte was distracted from her confused thoughts when the beat of the music suddenly picked up as the band began to play a faster song. The guests who had been sitting at Charlotte's table beckoned for her to join them on the dance floor.

Charlotte headed to the dance floor, glad that she was finally getting the opportunity to dance and enjoy herself.

The next couple of songs were also more upbeat, and Charlotte stayed on the dance floor for a little while.

Then the fast music faded into a song that was not too fast but also not too slow, and Charlotte danced with one of the elderly men who had been sitting at her table, at the suggestion of his wife, who had wanted Charlotte to have the experience of dancing to one of the dances for two people while she was at the ball.

It was during a brief break from dancing that Susan walked past Charlotte with what looked like a reassuring smile on her face, perhaps sensing that Charlotte's night was not quite going as magically as she'd planned.

"Keep your head held high, Charlotte," said Susan, in the mysterious tone of voice that she often used. "You truly look like a princess. And remember, not everything is as it seems…" she added, speaking in her typically vague words that often only made sense after the fact.

The smile remained on Susan's face as she returned to the masked man waiting for her on the dance floor, but there was also a hint of sadness in her eyes.

Charlotte frowned in confusion as she watched Susan go. She wondered who Susan was, when she wasn't working at the local gift shop; she wondered what her history was.

Trying to follow Susan's advice, Charlotte returned to the dance floor. She danced in a similar style with a few more of the men from her table, glad to learn some new dance steps.

Sidney was leaning against a wall close to the dance floor as Charlotte danced, an intense expression on his face. Every now and again, Charlotte sensed that he was looking right at her, but he was looking away every time she turned to look at him, and so she told herself that she was only imagining things.

It was only as the music slowed down again, and the couples resumed their slow dancing, and Charlotte started to move away from the dance floor to sit this one out that she started to feel that strange sense of distance and isolation again; she felt like an outsider looking in; like she wasn't really a part of the evening.

Everyone at the ball seemed to be so well-established; so certain of where they were going in life and so content to be here with their partners, dancing together.

And Charlotte didn't feel like she was a part of all of that…not really.

Even the people who did know her barely seemed to have spoken to her all night. They all seemed preoccupied, with other things on their minds.

Charlotte was still grateful to have received an invitation to attend the ball, and everything looked so beautiful, but she couldn't quite shake off the feeling that the ball hadn't turned out to be as magical as she had expected.

Charlotte looked up, and the balconies overlooking the ballroom suddenly caught her eye. She decided that she would take a bit of a break from the hustle and bustle of the ballroom for a little while. Perhaps she would gain a clearer perspective, if she could observe the ballroom from above.

She headed towards the little spiral staircase with intricate wooden banisters, before climbing the stairs slowly and carefully, trying to ensure that she did not trip over her dress on her way upstairs.

Upstairs, Charlotte walked through a small corridor before she walked out onto one of the little balconies that overlooked the ballroom.

She stood next to one of the torches that was shining brightly on the balcony-on closer inspection, Charlotte could confirm that the torch was indeed lit up with an artificial light, rather than a real flame-and she leaned against the wooden railing as she observed the ballroom below…

She noticed Sidney Parker, leaning against another wall with his arms folded, still looking to be in a bad mood. He stayed there for a couple of minutes before he moved away from the wall, taking rapid steps in the direction of the glass double doors which led to the gardens.

Charlotte watched him go, thinking about what might be going through his head, as he certainly seemed to have a lot on his mind…

"She doth teach the torches to burn bright…"

Charlotte was suddenly distracted on hearing a male voice behind her, quoting a well-known line from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Blinking in surprise, Charlotte turned to look over her shoulder to see a tall man approaching her with a smile on his face.

Almost instantly, Charlotte became aware of how handsome he was, with his blond hair falling in gentle curls over his face, and a look of admiration in his soft blue eyes when he noticed Charlotte looking at him. He looked to be not much older than Charlotte-a few years, perhaps, at most.

There was almost a swagger to his step as he moved towards her, which suggested that he was fully aware of just how handsome he was.

Charlotte looked him up and down as he moved closer. He was wearing a red coat with silver buttons and shoulder pads, and gold detail on the collar of the coat. His clothes made him look like a prince from a fairytale story.

"Romeo and Juliet," Charlotte said to the man, her voice sounding a little breathless. She felt her heartbeat increase as he moved even closer to her.

"A favourite of mine, among the works of Shakespeare," said the man with a nod of acknowledgement. "Fine storytelling, and a play with such beauty…amid the tragedy, of course." The way the man spoke, his tone of voice silky smooth, made him appear even more regal.

"I have often thought the same thing," said Charlotte, feeling a little flustered when the man smiled at her comment, his smile almost smug.

"I take it you are a fan? Of Romeo and Juliet, of course," the man added, perhaps on seeing the blush creeping to Charlotte's face on hearing his question.

"Oh, yes," said Charlotte, wondering why she still sounded breathless. "Although I will admit that his play, Macbeth, is a particular favourite of mine, with Romeo and Juliet a close second."

"Ah, Macbeth," said the blond man, looking contemplative. "By the pricking of my thumbs," he began, quoting a famous line from the play, "something wicked this way comes…"

At the exact same moment, the torch on the balcony seemed to lose power for a few seconds as the blond man moved closer to it, because it flickered a little, almost losing its light completely, casting the man's face almost into darkness as he spoke; an unplanned special effect that made his words sound a little spooky, and caused a shiver to run down Charlotte's spine.

What a strange coincidence it was, she thought, to have heard this line in her dream last night, and then to hear it spoken out loud in her real life. Could it mean something significant?

However, the light of the torch was suddenly restored to full power, and the man smiled after he finished quoting Shakespeare, and Charlotte told herself that she was just being silly, getting spooked by a few unintentional tricks of the light. She told herself that it really was just a coincidence, that this man had spoken the same line that she had heard in her dream.

"I see you know the play well," said Charlotte, with a smile of her own.

"I have always had a fondness for the great works of literature, Shakespeare included," the man said in response as he brushed a stray blond curl away from his face. "I try to find the time to read whenever I can, and the time to write my own poetry, too, although I confess to having had very little time recently, with so many duties to fulfil, and important events to attend."

Charlotte watched the man in fascination. He was handsome, and he enjoyed reading and writing poetry, and he seemed to have a detailed knowledge of the works of Shakespeare. And, not only did he look like a prince, but his talk of duties and attending important events made him sound like one! It was as though he had walked right out of a story book; a book written just for Charlotte.

"I love to read in my spare time, too," Charlotte told him. "Although, like you, I have had very little free time lately, but perhaps for different reasons-I run a bookshop in the village here," she explained, on seeing the man's raised eyebrow. He looked genuinely intrigued by what she had to say. Charlotte could not remember the last time a man had paid her such close attention.

"How wonderful it must be," he said, "to be so often surrounded by books. They're like a precious treasure that should be preserved during this digital age. I always feel saddened, on seeing more and more bookshops closing in London."

Charlotte felt a thrill at the possibility that this man could live in London, or least spend a lot of his time there. London was one of Charlotte's favourite cities; she had loved visiting the city during her childhood, and she wished that she could visit more often.

She loved everything about London: its history; its tradition; the iconic landmarks; the modern buildings that towered over the people in the streets; the typical London taxis and the red London buses on the roads; the parks, castles and theatres; the wide range of shops and restaurants in the city.

A big city like London was especially fascinating to Charlotte, given that she had grown up in a sleepy little village. It had always seemed like a place where dreams could come true.

"Of course, running your own business must come with its responsibilities, along with the challenges and the rewards," the man continued, as though concerned that he had somehow given Charlotte the impression that he believed her job to be rather easy. "You are doing such a wonderful thing for your community, providing people with books and stories and interesting things to discuss, and I'm sure that the people in the village appreciate your hard work."

"That's a very thoughtful way to put it," said Charlotte, grateful to meet a man around her own age who seemed to understand the ups and downs that went with running a local book business. Perhaps he would understand her, in the way that he seemed to understand her work...

"I'm Charlotte," she said as held out her hand for him to shake, suddenly eager to properly introduce herself to this man.

For a moment, Charlotte saw what she thought was a flicker of hesitation cross the man's face as she waited for him to introduce himself in return.

"…Charles," he said slowly, after a brief pause.

Something in the way he said it, with a hint of uncertainty in his voice, made Charlotte wonder if he really had given her his real first name…but then the man smiled, looking relaxed and confident again, and Charlotte told herself that she had only been imagining his hesitation.

Instead of shaking Charlotte's hand, he gently took her hand in his and placed a kiss to it, his lips barely even touching her skin, and the gesture made Charlotte blush again, distracting her from the mystery of the man's name. She could feel a tingling, almost, from her fingers all the way to her toes.

"No doubt you are glad of a break this evening from the responsibilities of running your own business," he said. "Which brings me to my next question-what is someone who is so elegantly dressed and looks every inch the belle of the ball doing up here, hiding away on a balcony, when there are so many opportunities to dance and have fun?"

Charlotte felt rather speechless, by both his flattery and his flirtation, but she tried to compose herself enough to give him an answer, as he really did seem interested to know the truth…

"Honestly," said Charlotte with a sigh," "I was feeling a bit disappointed by how the ball was turning out. I know that sounds terribly ungrateful," she added hurriedly, "when it is so difficult to receive an invite to attend in the first place-"

"You do not sound ungrateful," the man-Charles-reassured her. "Sometimes things are not as they seem, and things we imagine will be wonderful end up disappointing us; I have faced plenty of disappointments of my own recently. Besides," he added, with an almost mischievous grin, "I'm not sure it is so difficult to find ways to attend the ball…"

Charlotte wasn't sure what he meant by that, or why the man seemed to be so amused by the last part of his sentence, but she shrugged it off, deciding that it must be some sort of inside joke among regular guests. Instead, she nodded in agreement, feeling grateful that he at least seemed to be sympathising with her more negative feelings about the ball. Perhaps he felt like an outsider at this event, too.

Charlotte decided to tell him more, in the hope that he would understand…

"And, well, it wasn't long before I started to feel all alone here," she said. "Everybody seems to be here with a partner, or someone they are close to. I felt like I had no one to share the night with. Receiving an invitation was a miracle, for me, and I really thought something magical might happen here, but after a while, it just felt like any other party, albeit a very beautifully decorated one."

Charles nodded in apparent understanding. "You deserve to have a magical evening," he told her, his tone gentle. "Perhaps from now on it will be," he added with a wink.

Charlotte smiled, finally feeling the familiar flicker of hope again.

"As beautiful as the view is up here," Charles added with a smile, looking not at the ballroom but right at Charlotte, "it seems that there is more fun to be had downstairs…"

He paused for a moment, looking deep in thought. He looked at the ballroom, and then at Charlotte, his look appraising, as though trying to work her out…

"Would you like to dance with me?" he asked Charlotte.

Chapter Text

"Y-yes," said Charlotte, in response to Charles's question about asking her to dance. She still sounded a little breathless.

Charles smiled at Charlotte, looking thrilled that she wanted to dance with him, and then he nodded in the direction of the ballroom below, indicating that they should start to head back downstairs.

"Shall we?" he asked Charlotte with another smile, and Charlotte nodded, starting to follow the handsome blond as he turned to leave the balcony.

Just before she walked into the corridor, Charlotte looked over her shoulder to look down at the ballroom from the balcony one more time. She couldn't see anyone she recognised, among the small crowd gathered on the dance floor. Susan seemed to have vanished. It wasn't long however before Charlotte's eyes were drawn to Sidney Parker, who seemed to have only just returned to the ballroom after he had headed outside before. It seemed that this return would only be a brief one, as he remained close to the doors that led back out to the gardens, and his body language suggested that he was in a hurry. His eyes scanned the room, as though he were looking for someone in particular, and then he headed back outside.

There had been something protective in Sidney's stance just then, as though he routinely kept guard at important events, and yet, Charlotte still had no clue who he was looking for, or why he looked so tense this evening.

Charlotte however had other things to focus on at the moment, like the fact that she might actually get to dance with a handsome man this evening, so she turned away from the balcony and followed Charles.

The conversation seemed to flow easily as Charlotte walked through the corridor with Charles, in the direction of the spiral staircase that would lead them back downstairs.

Charles pointed out various paintings, ornaments and antiques which were on display on the walls and on little wooden tables in the house, pausing every so often to admire some of the paintings, and Charlotte was impressed by his apparent detailed knowledge of each and every item. It was clear that he had grown up with an interest in art and culture.

"Have you attended many of the balls at Lady Denham's manor?" Charlotte asked him, on realizing that Charles seemed to know a lot about the manor's paintings and furniture.

For a moment, Charlotte was sure that she saw a flicker of uncertainty on Charles's face, as though he were debating just how much to tell her, but then his expression seemed to clear, and the smile returned to his face. "I used to attend the balls here quite regularly," he responded, "but not so often in recent years…due to my busy schedule in London," he added, almost as an afterthought. "I am very glad I chose to attend this year, though," he finished with a smile as he looked right at Charlotte, and Charlotte fought off another blush.

Charles then seemed to go quiet for a few moments, not elaborating further on his schedule in London, and Charlotte told herself that he was entitled to keep things to himself-she barely knew him, after all.

It definitely seemed as though he had some sort of history here, at the manor. The distant, almost melancholy expression on his face suggested that he was revisiting some sort of painful memory. Perhaps he had once attended the ball with a girlfriend who was no longer a part of his life.

Charlotte also considered the possibility that this man was well-known in his career, or that he was in the public eye, and this was perhaps the reason why he was quite private about his life in London. He certainly had an air of royalty about him in the way he walked, talked and dressed, and it sounded like he lived a busy life in the city, with a lot of important events to attend.

"Do you know Lady Denham well?" Charles suddenly asked Charlotte, breaking the silence. As he asked her the question, the hint of nerves, or uncertainty, seemed to return to Charles's face and he seemed to be watching Charlotte closely as he waited for her response.

"I have visited the manor a couple of times," said Charlotte, "and I used to see Lady Denham walking around the village quite often. But I wouldn't say that she and I are friends," she told Charles truthfully.

"Perhaps that is for the best," Charles said quickly. "…I hear that she can be rather formidable, to put it mildly," he added with a smile when Charlotte looked at him with a confused frown. "I pity any of her friends who have ever got on her wrong side," he said with another smile, his tone light-hearted, like this was all some sort of in-joke among regular guests at the ball, and Charlotte wondered if she had just imagined his uncertainty and guardedness from a few moments ago.

After all, it was all very new to her, to be sharing a somewhat flirtatious exchange with a handsome stranger, and in such a busy, formal setting, too, where it could be quite difficult to pick up on every social cue, or the hidden meaning behind every spoken word.

The two of them walked down the spiral staircase leading to the ballroom in silence. Charles reached out to offer Charlotte his hand to help her walk down the stairs in her heels, gently taking Charlotte's hand in his, and Charlotte smiled to herself at his gentlemanly gesture.

Now back in the ballroom, they walked through the crowd in the direction of the dance floor.

Charles's eyes seemed to dart around the room for a few moments as he looked almost furtively around him, almost as though there were somebody in the room he was avoiding…or several people. Perhaps he really was famous, and he did not wish to be recognised.

Looking at him in the brighter lights of the ballroom, Charlotte felt like there was something familiar about Charles, the same way that she had felt on seeing the mysterious man who had been dancing with Susan-as though she might have seen him somewhere before, not necessarily in person but in a magazine or newspaper, perhaps, and quite recently, too, although she couldn't quite place the memory of where she had seen his picture. Maybe he really was a royal! Was the idea so far-fetched?

He had to have achieved some sort of wealth or success, to receive regular invitations to Lady Denham's ball, and especially to be in a position to turn invitations down because he had other, perhaps better, things to do in London.

Charles seemed to relax as he and Charlotte walked further into the ballroom, smiling whenever he caught Charlotte's eye, and walking with a confident swagger to his step, and Charlotte wondered if he was simply eager to avoid Lady Denham, rather than any of the other guests, after referring to her as being 'formidable' only a few moments ago. She'd had a feeling that he'd been holding back on saying even more negative things about Lady Denham simply out of politeness.

As they got closer to the dance floor, Charlotte noticed that a group of young ladies threw admiring glances in Charles's direction as they passed. Charlotte wasn't surprised-Charles was handsome, and it was clear from the look on his face that he was used to receiving such attention. It made the evening seem more magical to Charlotte, to know that a handsome man who attracted such admiring glances wanted to dance with her.

However, only moments later, a second group of people that passed them seemed to throw almost hostile glances in Charles's direction, with a couple of elderly men in the group shaking their heads in obvious disapproval as they glanced at Charles, muttering to each other in low voices as they walked away.

Charlotte threw a questioning glance in Charles's direction, wondering if he would offer an explanation for the apparent hostility towards him.

Charles smiled and shrugged, seemingly unfazed by the negative attention. "With all that I have achieved, and all the opportunities I have had, a little professional jealousy is only to be expected at times," he said, after a few moments' of silence. "Especially when we are among many people who are used to having everything handed to them on a plate," he added, with just a hint of disdain in his voice.

There was a hint of sadness in his tone of voice, too, along with a sense of resignation in his words, as though he had grown used to jealousy and hostility over time and had simply had to accept it as a part of his life.

Charlotte recalled Sidney Parker saying something about being 'despised' by half the guests at the ball, and she wondered if jealousy and rivalries were commonplace here, with everyone believing that they should be at the top of some sort of hierarchy.

Perhaps Charlotte had been naïve, in believing that everyone here this evening would act like the best of friends, enchanted by the magic of the ballroom.

Charles led Charlotte towards a part of the polished wooden floor just on the edge of the dance floor, a little away from the crowd of guests dancing at its centre. After the glares that Charles had just received, Charlotte was not surprised that he wanted to keep a distance from the other guests for a little while.

She wondered if that was the reason why he had been up on the balcony in the first place-perhaps he had been hiding away from guests who disliked him. If that was the case, then Charlotte felt a bit sorry for him.

Luckily, it seemed like people weren't really looking at them here on this part of the dance floor, as they all had the music, the dance steps and their dance partners to focus on instead.

When they found their place on the dance floor, Charles stopped walking and turned to Charlotte with a grin.

"You shall go to the ball," he said to her with a twinkle in his eyes as he held out his hand to her, beckoning to her to move closer to him.

Charlotte couldn't help laughing at his use of a well-known line from Cinderella. Perhaps Charles liked fairytales as much as she did.

Charles's smile was definitely flirtatious as Charlotte moved towards him, and the opening notes of the song began to play.

The song that the band had started to play was not very slow, but also not so fast that the couples on dance floor couldn't enjoy dancing close to one another.

Charlotte felt that the music was perfect for a first dance with someone who she had only recently met and didn't know very well, especially when that same someone was a man who she wanted to get to know better. She felt like she could still have the experience of dancing a (somewhat) slow dance with a handsome man who looked like a prince, a lot like the princesses in the fairytale stories she liked to read, without the added pressure of the dance being too slow or intimate.

Charles placed a hand on Charlotte's waist, and he took her hand in his other hand, confidently leading the two of them in the dance. Unlike most of the young men who Charlotte knew, Charles not only seemed to be an expert dancer, but he also seemed to genuinely enjoy being on the dance floor, dancing without any hint of embarrassment as he and Charlotte swayed slowly on the spot.

He seemed almost too good to be true.

With Charles's perfectly timed steps and his comfort with being on the dance floor, Charlotte was convinced that he had attended formal events such as these many times before.

Charles made a few jokes and light-hearted comments about a few of the guests at the ball, as though to try to lighten the mood and ease Charlotte's nerves about this new experience of dancing close to a partner at a ball, and he also made a few comments about how beautifully decorated the room was, but they danced most of the dance in silence, as though they were both simply enjoying being lost in the moment.

A few elderly couples gave them knowing nods and smiles as they danced, as though they were all sharing some sort of secret about the magic of the evening, and Charlotte and her dance partner definitely drew a few admiring glances from a few of the people dancing nearby.

As the notes of the song softened a little, the beat sounding even more romantic now, Charlotte looked up into Charles's eyes, the moment seeming to be so perfect, and suddenly, she felt as though a door were unlocking somewhere in her mind, or in her heart, as her belief in magic and miracles that only a couple of days ago had seemed to be lost forever came rushing back to her.

At last, there seemed to be something magical in the air again. Charlotte could finally appreciate just how much of a miracle it was to have been invited to the ball in the first place, let alone being asked to dance to such a beautiful, enchanting song with a man who looked and acted like a prince and made her feel like a princess.

Here, on the dance floor, where everything seemed possible, Charlotte felt like her teenage self again, happy, hopeful and optimistic, and sincerely believing that true love and adventure were waiting just around the next corner. She hadn't even realised just how much she had missed the part of herself that believed in magic. She wanted this feeling to last.

It was as though Charlotte's whole life had been leading her to this evening; like the universe had been working to bring her here. The events leading up to this moment were starting to make a bit more sense; perhaps the start of the evening had needed to be a bit underwhelming, somehow, just so she could truly appreciate how special the moment was when a handsome man finally asked her to dance. Perhaps Alison had been right all along, and Charlotte really did need to become less pessimistic and more open to new experiences.

Perhaps tonight would be the start of something magical…

Charlotte briefly looked away from Charles's bright blue eyes to take in her surroundings. There was still no sign of Sidney in the room, or Susan and her mystery man.

Her eyes were suddenly drawn to Lady Denham on the other side of the dance floor. Lady Denham was dancing with an elegantly dressed elderly man, at a distance from the main crowd of guests who were dancing at the centre of the dance floor. It was as though they wished to be left alone, together. The two of them were holding hands and swaying in time to the music, their movements in perfect sync, as though they had been dancing this dance for years.

The man's smart suit and his demeanour suggested wealth and class, but there was a kindness in his eyes and in his smile whenever he looked at Lady Denham.

Charlotte blinked in surprise a few times at how unlikely the scene in front of her was. Lady Denham looked much less cross and stern than she usually looked while she danced with this man. She looked younger, more carefree, happier, even, as though her heart and soul had temporarily returned to another time, many years ago. She even smiled at the man in return a couple of times. It was a smile that Charlotte had never seen from Lady Denham before.

Charlotte couldn't help feeling curious about who this man was, and what his connection to Lady Denham was. Charlotte knew from village gossip that Lady Denham had several elderly male suitors in and around Willingden, but she had never seemed to take a particular interest in any of them, often regarding them as something of an annoyance more than anything else, and Charlotte hadn't heard anything about there being a special person in Lady Denham's life who she was particularly fond of.

And yet, when Lady Denham looked at this man, she looked to be in love. Lady Denham and her suitor were looking at each other as though they were the only two people in the world, and the room around them had faded into nothing more than a blur. Charlotte could only imagine how it would feel to be so connected to another person; to be lost in another world together, oblivious to one's surroundings.

Despite the rare smiles from Lady Denham for her mystery man, there was also a look of sadness in her eyes as the notes of the song faded, when she and the man moved apart.

Charlotte suspected that their history was not entirely a happy one, which made her feel rather sad, despite not knowing the full story.

But then Charles was whispering in Charlotte's ear about how beautiful she looked tonight, and she became distracted, focusing on him again as a new song started to play and the notes of the song became more upbeat. It seemed that Charles had not even noticed that Lady Denham was on the dance floor, as he was so focused on Charlotte, and Lady Denham certainly hadn't noticed him.

The energy on the dance floor suddenly became livelier as people got into groups for this faster dance, and they all started to move quicker than they had done for the previous dance.

A group of elderly couples joined Charlotte and Charles on their section of the dance floor, and it wasn't long before Charles had charmed them all, the women especially, laughing and joking with them as he span each of them around in turn in time to the music, moving rapidly from one dancer to the next and teaching Charlotte a few new dance steps along the way, before he moved around in a circle again to dance with the other women in the group as part of the routine.

For the final part of the dance, the group of people who they were dancing with joined hands and lifted their arms to make an archway, and Charlotte and Charles ran through it as the last notes of the song played, looking at each other and laughing as Charles held Charlotte's hand in his.

Charlotte liked that Charles seemed to enjoy dancing and socialising and sharing a laugh and a joke, unlike some of the guests who were also at the ball tonight.

Charlotte applauded along with the other dancers as the song finished, feeling giddy, almost, and so glad to finally be enjoying herself tonight.

Both Charlotte and Charles were a little out of breath after their second dance, and so they decided to take a break and sit down for a few minutes. They headed in the direction of the circular tables, looking for a couple of empty seats and helping themselves to a glass of champagne each as a waiter walked past them carrying a silver tray.

While they looked for seats, Charles pointed out the various doorways all around the ballroom that led to other rooms in the house, explaining to Charlotte what was in each room. It was clear that he knew the layout of the manor house very well.

He seemed to be particularly fond of the house's library, as he told Charlotte all about the extensive volumes of books on display on the library's bookshelves-bookshelves that apparently reached the library's high ceiling.

"There is such a thrill to be found in wandering among the towering bookshelves late at night, and in hiding away in the dark, private corners of the library with an attractive woman for company…" said Charles with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

Charlotte blushed. She felt that Charles's comment was maybe too suggestive when they had not long met, so she decided to change the subject, asking him about other rooms in the house.

When they were finally sitting down, Charlotte and Charles started talking about their favourite books, and Charlotte was pleasantly surprised to discover that she and Charles shared a similar taste in literature. They talked about the classic novels that they had both enjoyed reading, especially the works of the Bronte sisters, and the novels of Jane Austen, and not only did Charles seem to have a detailed knowledge of each and every novel by these authors, but he was also eager to hear all of Charlotte's opinions on these stories.

They even talked about their favourite childhood fairytale stories, and Charlotte was delighted that Charles seemed to share in her love for stories about princes and princesses, and fairy godmothers and magic.

"I have always been a fan of happy endings," Charles said with an amused-looking smile as he talked about his favourite fairytales. "Especially my own."

Charles also asked Charlotte questions about her bookshop, seemingly very interested in the new books that she had just got in stock, as well as asking Charlotte about how she had chosen to display the books on the shelves, and what the interior of the shop looked like.

He asked her if Lady Denham often visited the bookshop, to which Charlotte replied honestly that she hadn't seen her at the bookshop very much over recent months.

"Probably due to her ill health," said Charles, sounding more like he was thinking out loud than replying directly, as he looked lost in his own thoughts for a few moments.

Charles's words suggested to Charlotte that he knew Lady Denham quite well, even if he did not seem to particularly like her very much.

Before Charlotte could ask him anything else about Lady Denham however, he changed the subject, returning the topic of conversation to the Shakespeare plays that they had both enjoyed reading and watching performances of in various theatres.

The music seemed to be getting louder, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to hear what Charles was saying to her, and so Charlotte decided to take a walk with Charles in the manor gardens to get some fresh air and continue their conversation.

They got up from their seats and headed in the direction of the glass double doors that led out into the gardens, with the doors swinging open easily as they stepped out into the cool night air.

The manor house's gardens looked as breathtaking as ever, with several stone steps leading down to freshly mown grass and various winding paths that were lined with rose bushes and tall trees with sweeping branches. There were mainly brightly-coloured flowers in the gardens which seemed to point the way towards the ornamental pond and fountain a little further into the gardens.

The gardens might have always looked beautiful, but they looked particularly magical this evening, with the light from the moon and the stars seeming to enhance their beauty.

Charlotte did not stray too far from the glass doors which led back into the warmth of the manor house as she walked next to Charles in the gardens. She might have been feeling a bit more reckless this evening after agreeing to dance with a man who she had only just met, but that did not mean that she was prepared to take any risks by walking too far into almost deserted gardens with a stranger late at night.

Luckily, Charles seemed to understand that Charlotte wanted to stay on the path closest to the house.

As they walked, sharing smiles and friendly conversation, Charlotte realised that although she had visited the manor house gardens several times before, there were still new things to discover, such as the fruit trees bearing delicious-looking apples, and new flower beds and water features.

She also silently observed that there was something so regal in the way that Charles walked, with his head held high as he surveyed the gardens as though he owned the place, and Charlotte could almost imagine that she really was walking next to a prince.

"The gardens truly are beautiful, aren't they?" said Charles, looking into the distance with an almost dreamy expression on his face. "No doubt whoever inherits the manor stands to inherit a fortune…It is a topic that is much gossiped and speculated about in some of London's social circles," he added quickly, when Charlotte turned to look at him, curious as to why this topic would be of interest to Charles.

In the end, Charlotte simply shrugged and decided to change the subject. After all, she had never been anywhere close enough to any of London's social circles to even begin to understand what was discussed between the people in them.

"Tell me more about your life in London," Charlotte asked Charles after a few minutes of walking the garden's winding paths. "It's a favourite city of mine," she explained with a smile, when Charles looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"It's one of my favourite cities, too," Charles replied with a smile and a fond look in his eyes. "Oh, how I love to visit its castles and monuments and museums; to witness first-hand its history and the modern world, existing side-by-side. And of course, there are so many wonderful bookshops to visit in the city-there is a bookshop near Buckingham Palace that is several stories high, with a beautiful spiral staircase leading to its upper floors. I could happily spend hours browsing there, walking among the old, wooden bookshelves. And I recently visited a famous bookshop in Notting Hill. No doubt you would be enthralled by all the books there. Not to mention all the fancy parties in the city," Charles added. "Most events are even more glamourous than this one, if you can believe it," he said with a smile. "And even the parties that are not so glamourous can turn out to be even more interesting," he said with a smirk and a wink. "The most recent party I attended in London took place on a boat on the Thames, with plenty of music and dancing throughout the night. And the one before that was at a high-rise restaurant surrounded by large glass windows, which offered spectacular views of London's skyline at night. Even just going out for food and drinks can be an adventure," he continued. "There is a bar called The Fable in central London with a fairytale décor that I often visit with friends. You would love it there. And I am partial to an occasional fancy afternoon tea, as well."

Charlotte watched Charles in fascination as he talked about London's attractions. Not only was it rather thrilling to meet a handsome man who was so enthusiastic about books and bookshops, but the way he talked about London, and the places that Charlotte would like in the city, sort of made it seem like he wanted to share his experiences in the city with Charlotte; like he wanted her to be there, in London, with him.

She had a sudden longing to go to London; to go out for food and drinks at a fairytale-themed bar like The Fable; to attend glamourous parties and afternoon teas and visit the city's castles and historic monuments. This man seemed to experience the magic of London on a daily basis; it was a magic that Charlotte wished to experience, too.

"Of course," said Charles, interrupting Charlotte's thoughts, "the adventure to be found in a city such as London does not negate the beauty of a charming village in the countryside such as Willingden."

"Do you really think so?" Charlotte asked him, with a hint of doubt in her voice. Sometimes, she wondered whether life in Willingden could really compare to life in a big city.

"Oh, yes," said Charles, with no hint of insincerity in his voice. "After all, it is always a pleasure to walk across a bridge over a stream in a little village; to see the smoke rising up from the chimney of an old-fashioned cottage; to walk on cobbled pavements and to be greeted like an old friend by passersby, with the hint of the scent of fresh bread baking at the local bakery in the air; to walk through the green fields surrounding the village while feeling the warm rays of sunshine on one's shoulders, and the sun painting the sky bright shades of orange and pink; to run one's hands through the long blades of grass while walking in the countryside; to be surrounded by nature and open space to escape into; to hear only the sound of the wind gently rustling through the leaves of the trees at night..."

Charlotte watched him as though mesmerised. He talked about the beauty of life in the countryside like a writer or a poet would. He truly made life in Willingden sound like a blessing; a rare gift. His words made Charlotte appreciate the village a bit more.

It almost felt like a miracle, to meet a man who could see the magic both in a life in London and a life in Willingden. Charlotte almost couldn't believe that she had had the good fortune to meet him.

They continued walking for a few more minutes, until Charlotte stopped to admire a few of the roses in the garden.

"What are you thinking about?" Charles asked Charlotte, his expression contemplative, perhaps on noticing that Charlotte was deep in thought.

"Oh, it's a bit silly, really," said Charlotte, feeling a bit embarrassed about the thought that had just crossed her mind. "I was just thinking about the romantic stories and fairytales I have read, in which the main characters are often presented with flowers, and how perfect roses like these would be for such stories…"

"Well," said Charles with a knowing smile, "I do not think it would be right to pick flowers from Lady Denham's garden, but perhaps I can offer you a substitute instead…you deserve a romantic gesture worthy of your favourite stories during your magical night at the ball, after all…"

With that, he reached into the inside pocket of his red jacket and took out a little red flower that looked like a poppy.

Charlotte could tell just by looking at it that the flower was artificial.

"This poppy was from a display at an historic place I often visit," said Charles, "and the display was set up there to commemorate an event which means a lot to my family, and to me. I know it isn't a real flower, and it is no rose, but it has sentimental value, and I would like you to have it," he said, as he handed the poppy to Charlotte.

Charlotte smiled at the gesture as she held her hand out to take the flower, appreciating the fact that Charles was making an effort to create a romantic moment similar to the ones in her favourite stories, and also that he was giving her a gift that had sentimental value to him. He really did seem to be going out of his way to make the evening magical for Charlotte.

As soon as Charles placed the flower in Charlotte's hand, however, Charlotte was distracted by the sound of a loud clap of thunder overhead, which made her jump in shock.

Startled, Charlotte looked up at the sky. The weather forecast had not suggested that a thunderstorm was going to happen this evening.

"Perhaps now is the perfect time to head back inside?" Charles suggested.

Charlotte nodded in agreement, feeling relieved to be heading back indoors, as it now looked like it was going to rain, and she had long since learned that in Willingden, when it rained, it poured.

Most of the other guests who had been walking around the gardens had also started to head back inside, taking rapid steps towards the stone steps and the glass doors.

Charlotte felt a shiver run through her body as she walked along a winding path that led back towards the manor house. She hadn't even realised how cold it had got since she'd left the warmth of the ballroom.

"Here, take my jacket," said Charles as he took it off and handed it to Charlotte. "I insist," he added with a smile when Charlotte started to protest that he would get very cold without his jacket.

He moved a bit closer to Charlotte to help her put the red jacket on.

Charlotte couldn't help smiling at yet another gentlemanly gesture, not to mention that Charles looked very handsome in his white shirt, without his jacket.

Just before she followed Charles back inside, Charlotte glanced over her shoulder to have one more look at the beautiful gardens at night, and she noticed the red-haired woman who Sidney had been talking to at the start of the evening (Esther, perhaps, although Charlotte wasn't fully certain that this was the woman's name). She was standing further into the gardens, under a tall tree with sweeping branches.

Even from a distance, the woman looked like she had just burst into tears. Her shoulders were shaking, and she had covered her face with her hands.

Charlotte was just about to head over in her direction to check that the woman was okay (it did not feel right, to leave a crying woman on her own at a party), when a group of elderly women who had been talking amongst themselves in the gardens suddenly approached the red-haired woman with concerned-looking expressions on their faces. The woman seemed to know all these women, as she immediately started talking to them as though she had known them for years, allowing them to hold her hands and help her wipe away her tears.

Charlotte turned around to head back inside, reassured that the crying woman was in good hands, even though she had no idea what she was so upset about.

As she walked back through the glass doors, Charlotte allowed herself one more quick glance over her shoulder, and she was sure that she also caught a glimpse of Sidney in the gardens, walking towards the crying woman with a similar expression of concern, but then Charlotte became distracted by Charles when he smiled at her and held out a hand to lead to back to the dance floor.

The music in the ballroom was slower and softer now, making it sound even more romantic, and the lights in the room had been dimmed, as though to match the more romantic mood.

Charles led Charlotte to a far corner of the dance floor, holding her close as they both started to sway in time to the music, dancing a slow dance together.

There were other couples slow dancing all around them, adding to the romantic atmosphere in the room as the band continued to play a beautiful melody.

Charles's voice was slow, gentle, almost hypnotic as he whispered sweet words in Charlotte's ear, telling her how wonderful she looked, and saying how lucky he was to have met her here at the ball tonight.

As the song continued to play, they fell into silence for a minute or so. Charlotte looked up to look into Charles's eyes.

He looked back at her, his expression contemplative, as though he were thinking carefully about what he was going to say next.

"I know that we have just met," said Charles, his tone still soft, "and we still have much to learn about each other…but I feel that there is already a connection between the two of us, like it was fate, somehow, for the two of us to meet here tonight…do you feel it, too?"

"Y-yes," Charlotte replied, her heart racing.

She wasn't very experienced in relationships or romance, and she wasn't sure if that feeling of 'love at first sight' that always seemed to happen in fairytales actually existed in real life, but Charlotte did feel some sort of connection to Charles, and she too had been wondering if it was fate, that they had met on the ballroom balcony this evening…and Charles was so handsome, and charming, and Charlotte had enjoyed her evening with him, and they seemed to have a lot in common. She wanted to get to know him better; to discover who he was when he wasn't at a formal event, dancing in a fancy ballroom. Besides, Charlotte was enjoying rediscovering her sense of optimism and positivity, and her belief in the magic of fairytales. The feeling was almost intoxicating, and she wanted it to last. She wanted to stay here for longer, ignoring the reality of her day-to-day life and pretending for a little while longer that she was a character from a fairytale book who was dancing with her handsome prince.

Charles moved a little bit closer to Charlotte, still looking her right in the eye.

Charlotte looked back at him, feeling a shift in the atmosphere around her.

Their lips were only inches apart.

Charlotte would only have to move a little further forward to close the gap between them.

Charles moved a quarter of an inch closer, apparently taking it upon himself to try to close the gap.

Charlotte almost couldn't believe that this was about to happen. She did not normally do things like this on first meeting a man. Usually, she was much more cautious; much more guarded.

Perhaps others would say that her actions had been reckless tonight, but she liked to think that she was being brave.

Perhaps it was just the beautiful setting, and the romantic music, and being dressed up in a pretty ballgown while dancing with a handsomely dressed man, which could almost make her believe that she was playing a character who could actually live happily ever after; playing a role in a romantic story…perhaps Charles's smooth, sweet words were just going to her head…but, what if there was more to it than that? What if this really was the start of something special?

There was only one way to find out…

Charles moved even closer; his lips were almost on Charlotte's now…

Bang!

Suddenly, Charlotte heard a loud crash that seemed to reverberate all around the room.

With a gasp of shock, she sprang apart from Charles, somehow feeling as though she had just snapped out of some sort of trance.

Blinking rapidly as she came back to herself, Charlotte frantically looked around the room amid a few gasps of surprise from other guests.

Finally, her eyes focused on the source of the commotion…

Some sort of fight appeared to have broken out in the gardens, and with the glass doors still ajar, the sound of shouting could be heard outside. Something, or someone, seemed to have been pushed up against the door during the fight, as there were still people leaning against it now as they argued with others outside…or perhaps something had been thrown at the doors during the dispute, and the sound had carried into the room.

As a few of the guests in the ballroom mumbled their apparent disapproval at having their evening interrupted by such behaviour, Charlotte looked from the glass doors to Charles, who actually looked genuinely concerned about what was going on outside, with all traces of calmness, confidence and playfulness having temporarily vanished from his face. His eyes darted rapidly from Charlotte to the glass doors, before he suddenly seemed to regain his composure.

"It seems that some sort of dispute has broken out in the gardens," he said, his voice sounding a bit uncertain. "These things happen often at parties such as these," he added, with an almost apologetic-looking smile, as though he were somehow personally responsible. "There are a lot of tensions and rivalries under one roof, all mixed in with alcohol and a party atmosphere. It is inevitable that some will forget themselves and act irresponsibly. Perhaps I should go and investigate the source of the commotion, and check that there is nothing to be concerned about," he finished as he raised his head and squared his shoulders as though he were about to head into battle.

Charles's body language and his resolute expression briefly made Charlotte wonder if he was in fact some sort of soldier, rather than a secret prince. He certainly seemed to believe it to be his duty to break up the fight that was going on outside, regardless of what the dispute might be about.

Perhaps a little selfishly, Charlotte couldn't help feeling a bit annoyed that her moment with Charles had just been lost. She had been convinced that they had been about to kiss. And now he was going to be distracted by whatever was going on outside.

However, Charlotte understood that the safety of the guests had to take priority, and so she nodded in agreement.

For some reason, she couldn't help feeling a strange, irrational sense of worry that Charles wouldn't return to her. He certainly seemed to be in a hurry to get outside now.

Charles seemed to read the look of concern in Charlotte's facial expression: "I'll be right back," he promised her with a reassuring smile. "Then we can pick up where we left off," he added with a flirtatious wink.

Charlotte nodded, trying to smile, wanting to believe him.

With that, Charles walked away from her, seemingly heading in the direction of the glass doors, but the ballroom was now so crowded as more guests headed into the room from various side doors, no doubt hoping to catch a glimpse of the drama that was going on outside, and so Charlotte could only see a couple of feet ahead of her.

In a matter of moments, Charles seemed to disappear into the crowd, and Charlotte couldn't see where he had gone.

Charlotte felt a little lost as she drifted around the ballroom, not really sure what to do or where to go now that she was on her own.

She felt too warm all of a sudden. She had been so lost in the moment on the dance floor that she hadn't even remembered that she had still been wearing Charles's jacket after their walk outside, and she was just now realising that she was still wearing it.

Charlotte turned almost in a circle, trying to decide where she should go. Most of the guests around her had now returned to their slow dancing, with the band hastily resuming their playing of the music, as though trying to pretend that nothing out of the ordinary had just happened, but Charlotte felt a little out of place, standing on the dance floor without a partner, even though she was only on the edge of the dance floor, where nobody would really notice her. Charles had definitely seemed to want to remain unnoticed while they were dancing.

She was just thinking about leaving the dance floor to go and get another drink when…

Bang!

With another loud crash, the glass doors that bridged the gap between the bright lights of the ballroom and the darkness of the gardens were thrown fully open as the music in the room abruptly stopped playing.

Sidney Parker stood in the doorway, his arms still outstretched after flinging the doors open, his expression thunderous.

In almost perfect timing, a clap of thunder sounded from high above in the sky, closely followed by a flash of lightning.

"Where is he?!" Sidney demanded, addressing a room that had fallen into stunned silence as another blast of thunder sounded in the sky.

Chapter Text

The thunder continued to sound overhead, the sound only heightened by the tense silence that had fallen over the ballroom as Sidney continued to stand in the doorway, looking furious.

Nobody seemed to know what to do, what to say, how to react...

Most of the guests looked as confused as Charlotte felt, while a few of the guests in the room, the men especially, looked rather annoyed by Sidney's sudden appearance. Perhaps Sidney had been right all along in thinking that most of the guests at the ball despised him.

From the other side of the ballroom, Charlotte stared at Sidney with a frown on her face, feeling utterly befuddled. She had no idea why Sidney looked so angry, or who exactly he was looking for, or what could be so important that he had felt it necessary to interrupt a formal event in such a dramatic way.

To make matters worse, a quick glance around the ballroom showed Charlotte that Charles was nowhere to be seen.

Sidney seemed to have become impatient on receiving no answer to his question, as he moved rapidly away from the doorway and into the room, his body language and alert expression suggesting that he was preparing himself for some sort of conflict. His stance was protective, almost, like he was protecting something, or somebody from danger, or from pain.

Only moments after Sidney stepped away from the doorway, three tall, strong-looking men charged towards him with angry expressions on their faces, almost as though they were trying to block Sidney from getting further into the room, or stop him from finding the man he was looking for. Their hands were clenched into fists, like they were readying themselves for a fight.

Charlotte would have felt afraid on having to meet such anger head-on, but Sidney showed no fear as the three men approached him. If anything, the men seemed to be nothing more than a mild irritation to him, given the way he sighed and rolled his eyes as they got closer to him; they seemed like an obstacle in the way of him doing what he truly needed to do.

"I'm not looking for a fight with you," Sidney told the three men, his tone firm, authoritative, despite his obvious irritation, "and in spite of what you may think to the contrary, you will not stop me from finding Edward if he is here tonight, even though he now seems to be using his friends as his unofficial bodyguards. I can only hope he is at least paying you some sort of compensation for fighting his battles and doing his bidding; not that he has ever been so generous before..."

This comment seemed to be the final straw for Edward's friends. Charlotte had only a few seconds to wonder who this mysterious 'Edward' may be, and what he had done to incur Sidney's wrath, before all three men attempted to take a swing at Sidney, completely ignoring Sidney's words about trying to avoid a physical altercation with them, as well as the loud gasps of shock from around the room. It seemed that the men very much wanted a fight with Sidney, even though Sidney had claimed he was not interested in fighting with them.

Charlotte watched in shock, and almost a begrudging sense of admiration (in spite of her irritation at yet another obstacle in the way of her sharing another dance with Charles), although she would never admit to this out loud, as Sidney took on all three men at once, as though it were nothing, easily defending himself with a strength and a skill that Charlotte had not even realised he possessed.

He fought off his attackers so easily, as though he did things like that every day; as though he were well-trained in self-defense, and used to constant conflict and altercations.

It wasn't long before Sidney had managed to shove all three men out of his way, although they did try once or twice to come back for more, only for Sidney to easily fend them off again, amidst several more gasps and murmurs of disapproval from the guests in the ballroom.

Charlotte wondered why these men seemed so determined to defend the mysterious Edward from Sidney, and why Edward wasn't in the room to fight his own battles. It was difficult to think clearly, however, when everything around her was so chaotic, and she was still franctically searching the room to see if Charles had returned. Sidney's fight felt like a rather annoying distraction from Charlotte's magical evening.

It was only when one of the men who had just attempted to punch Sidney in the face was pushed into a nearby table, sending a few empty glasses that had been on the table crashing to the floor, that the fight was finally interrupted...Lady Denham came storming into the room, letting her fury be known as she shouted at all four men and ordered them to stop the fight.

"Disgraceful behaviour!" she shouted at Sidney as she got closer, angrily pointing her finger at him as the three men who had started the fight with Sidney moved towards the edge of the ballroom, now looking eager to get away from Sidney, and Lady Denham. "Fighting!" she continued to shout, in a tone of angry disbelief. "In the middle of the ballroom! At such a formal event!"

It seemed that she blamed Sidney for everything that had just transpired, which Charlotte thought was perhaps a bit unfair, as it seemed that Sidney had just been defending himself this time, although Charlotte had no idea if she could have said the same if Sidney had actually found the man he'd been looking for in the ballroom. Sidney seemed to Charlotte like the sort of person who rather enjoyed conflict, and perhaps even went looking for it.

The rest of the guests continued to watch the scene in stunned silence, but it wasn't long before Charlotte suddenly snapped to her senses, remembering that Charles was still missing from the room, and she still had no idea where he was, or if he would return.

She span almost in a circle as she rapidly looked around the room again, trying to see if she could see Charles, but he wasn't there. She then looked up in the direction of the balconies, where she had first met Charles a short time ago, even though she hadn't seen Charles go back up the stairs when he walked away a few minutes ago, but he wasn't there either.

With everyone else in the ballroom distracted by the three men who had fought with Sidney being removed from the room by security, as well as the argument that was still going on between Sidney Parker and Lady Denham, Charlotte headed towards the open doors that led out into the gardens, still holding on tight to Charles's red coat that he had left with her, her departure from the ballroom going unnoticed by the other guests.

Charlotte ran outside into the cool night air, convinced that the gardens would be the most likely place where Charles would be-he had told her that he was going to head outside to check on what was going on, after all-but he was still nowhere to be seen outside.

There was hardly anybody in the gardens now, no doubt due to the recent thunder and the threat of heavy rain, although Charlotte did notice Susan and her mystery man, walking side by side further away in the gardens. Every few seconds, their hands moved closer together, as though they were both contemplating holding hands, before they seemed to think better of it at the last second, moving their hands apart again.

Charlotte however had no time to wonder about Susan's relationship with the man who she had spent so much time with this evening, as she was starting to worry that if she did not find Charles soon, she might not see him again for the rest of the evening, or worse, ever again...

She ran back into the house, moving swiftly back through the ballroom as she headed in the direction of the door that would take her to the entrance hallway.

She could hear snatches of Lady Denham's argument with Sidney-she now seemed to be referring to his past brawl at the local pub in Willingden, where Sidney and his friends had apparently previously got into a fight with Edward, and how she thought that Sidney had displayed similar 'ungentlemanly behaviour' this evening (in some ways, Charlotte couldn't help agreeing with Lady Denham), but Charlotte didn't have time to listen to anymore of what was being said. Instead, she continued her journey out of the ballroom and through the hallway that led into the entrance hall.

As she ran through the entrance hall (where Charles was also nowhere to be found), Charlotte noticed that the grandfather clock she had walked past on her way into the ball had just struck midnight, and she could hear its gentle chimes as she passed.

She continued running until she reached the front doors and flung them open, not waiting for the doormen to open them for her.

And then Charlotte was outside again, at the front of the manor house this time.

She looked around her at the few people who were standing close to the doorway, but she didn't see Charles among them.

With her heart still beating fast, Charlotte then ran down the stone steps that led to the driveway. There were only a few cars parked by the stone steps at the top of the driveway, and those cars were mostly empty, apart from the smartly-dressed drivers who were sitting in the front seats of a few of the cars, and there were currently no cars pulling out of the driveway further down the road by the large, iron gates, but already, Charlotte couldn't help feeling like Charles had left the party without saying goodbye.

She paused on the last of the stone steps to catch her breath, at a loss for what to do next.

"I do hope you're going to be alright..."

Charlotte could suddenly hear Sidney Parker's voice from not far behind her, as he talked to someone in a hushed tone. It seemed that he too had escaped the ballroom over the past few minutes, and his argument with Lady Denham.

Charlotte glanced over her shoulder to see Sidney talking to the red-haired woman who he seemed to have been concerned about for most of the evening, the two of them standing a few feet away from Charlotte, close to the manor house's front door.

Sidney looked remarkably composed for a man who had just burst into a ballroom in the middle of a thunderstorm and fought off three angry men. Again, Charlotte couldn't help wondering if he did that sort of thing all the time, perhaps as part of his job.

"I'll be fine," the red-haired woman said in response to Sidney as she dabbed at her eyes with a very fancy-looking handkerchief that Charlotte wondered if Sidney had given to her. "After all," she continued, "I only encountered Edward very briefly in the gardens. Besides, this is not the first time that he has tried to humiliate me at a public event..."

Again, Charlotte wondered who this Edward was, and why he had been so unwelcome at the ball, and why his presence had managed to cause such a disturbance. Had he really been such a threat, that it had been worth it for Sidney to disrupt the evening for most of the guests, and embarrass Lady Denham in the process?

"I truly didn't think he'd have the nerve to show up here tonight," said Sidney, his tone full of regret. "I feel I should have been more vigilant, done more in advance to prevent him from getting in..."

"You did all that you could," said the woman. "Please don't trouble yourself," she added, perhaps on seeing the look of doubt on Sidney's face, "Edward has a way of charming and manipulating his way past even the best-planned defenses. And I heard whispers that he was wearing some sort of disguise tonight when he first entered the manor house. It seems he had everyone fooled."

Charlotte could only hear a few further snatches of their conversation...

She heard the woman say something to Sidney about how she hoped that Edward had not managed to seduce some other 'poor, unsuspecting woman' before he left the party, and then Charlotte heard Sidney speak again.

"Are you certain you'll be okay getting home, Esther?" she heard Sidney ask the woman-Esther.

"I'll be fine," said Esther. "A few of my aunt's friends have offered to travel home with me. I only hope that you have not got into too much trouble on my account, and that you are not banned from attending the next family dinner as a result of your 'disgraceful' behaviour," she added with a smile, in what sounded like an attempt at finding humour in an upsetting situation.

So, Sidney and Esther were related, Charlotte realised.

"It would not be the first time," said Sidney, also with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Not long after, a car pulled up in the driveway, not very far from where Charlotte was standing. Charlotte recognised a few of the elderly women who had been comforting Esther earlier in the gardens now sitting in the car, waiting to take Esther home.

Sidney helped Esther get into the car, neither of them noticing Charlotte standing nearby in the dark, as both of them looked rather preoccupied, and then Sidney vanished from Charlotte's view. She assumed that Sidney had headed back into the house.

Charlotte continued to stand on the stone steps as Esther's car pulled out of the driveway, her eyes still frantically searching for Charles among the small crowd of guests who were now leaving the ball.

When she noticed that one of the doormen was standing not too far away from her, she asked him if he had seen a man matching Charles's description leaving the house.

"I saw a man of a similar description leaving the house a few minutes before you ran outside, Miss," the doorman said as Charlotte's heart began to sink. "Perhaps he is the man you are looking for. He was with a group of men, all of them dressed in red. They looked a bit like soldiers. They seemed to be in a hurry to get away. I heard them talking about some sort of emergency that had come up where they lived, and they seemed eager for their car to arrive quickly, so that they could leave. They got into a fancy-looking limo, which then sped off down the driveway..."

Charlotte couldn't help sighing in disappointment as the doorman walked away to assist another guest. She couldn't help feeling upset, even though she felt a little selfish for feeling that way-Charles had told her that he would return to her; that they would pick up where they had left off, and now that was not going to happen. They had almost kissed tonight; perhaps they would have, if not for the interruption. But now, it seemed very likely that Charles had already left, and due to an emergency, too, and Charlotte knew so little about him; it would be almost impossible to find him again, to find out if he was okay after an apparent emergency that had come up for either him, or one of his friends.

As though mirroring her sombre thoughts, the heavens suddenly opened and it started to pour with rain, as it had been threatening to do ever since the thunderstorm had started.

Charlotte barely even spared a thought for how her hair and makeup would probably be ruined, now that she was getting soaked in the rain-and after spending so long getting ready for the evening, too-as her disappointment at not getting to at least say goodbye to Charles and perhaps exchange numbers before parting was distracting her from all of her other current concerns.

With another sigh, she turned and headed back up the stone steps, distracted and therefore not focusing on her surroundings, only to walk headlong into Sidney Parker at the top of the steps, who had apparently stepped back outside again.

He looked rather shocked by the collision, but he seemed to compose himself quicker than Charlotte did, reaching out his hands as Charlotte let out a gasp of shock at the collision to catch her gently before she could fall all the way to the floor, before he helped her to stand up again.

It was only when Charlotte almost dropped Charles's red coat as she tried to regain her balance that she was reminded that she was still holding it. Perhaps she did have some way of finding Charles after all...

Right now, however, she felt that she had other issues to focus on...

"Thank you for that," said Charlotte as she stood up straight and tried not to look too embarrassed by the collision.

She knew that the hints of sarcasm and irritation would be obvious in her tone of voice. After everything that had recently happened, she felt unable to even feel grateful that Sidney had stopped her from falling to the floor.

There was a part of her that suspected that Charles had got spooked by the commotion that Sidney had started this evening and fled, which made her feel even less inclined to be polite to Sidney right now. She had perhaps felt more forgiving of his behaviour earlier, back in the ballroom, when she had still believed that Charles was about to return to dance with her again, but now that Charlotte had received confirmation that Charles had almost definitely left the party, and she therefore knew that she would not be seeing him again this evening, she was starting to feel more annoyed about Sidney's attempts to disrupt the ball.

Although, in spite of her suspicions, she couldn't really understand how exactly Sidney's behaviour would be the reason for Charles fleeing the ball, as she did not know either man well enough to predict their behaviour.

However, Charlotte had also not ruled out the possibility that Charles was secretly a celebrity, or a prince, and therefore had to avoid conflict or violent behaviour at events so as not to attract negative publicity.

"I apologise," said Sidney, "I was distracted, and not looking where I was going-"

"No, not for that," said Charlotte with a sigh.

"For what, then?" Sidney asked her with a frown, apparently oblivious to just how much trouble he had caused this evening.

"For ruining a perfectly good evening!" said Charlotte in exasperation, still not paying attention to the heavy rain that was soaking her dress due to her anger.

"And how have I done that, exactly?" asked Sidney, with another of his typical frowns. "Don't get me wrong," he added, "I have ruined many an evening before, and I acknowledge that I have likely ruined this particular evening for some of the guests who are always looking for reasons to despise me further, but I am failing to see how I have ruined your evening, specifically?"

Charlotte couldn't help rolling her eyes at his apparent lack of concern. She could see why Lady Denham had been so exasperated by Sidney's behaviour this evening.

"Everything had been going so well, until a fight broke out in the gardens, and you burst through the ballroom doors!" Charlotte sighed. "I assume you were also involved in the fight in the gardens?" she asked Sidney with an accusing stare, and he simply nodded, not looking the least bit remorseful.

"That simply could not be helped," said Sidney, his tone very serious, as though he himself were some sort of soldier who had just been doing his duty. "My cousin was having a bit of...trouble with her ex-boyfriend, and the entire night really would have been ruined, if he had spent anymore time at the party. I had it on good authority that he had headed into the ballroom, although it now seems as though he is nowhere to be found; perhaps he has already fled..."

"I spent most of the evening dancing and talking with a handsome man who looked like a prince," Charlotte told Sidney. "We had a connection, chemistry...it all felt so magical, like something out of a fairytale-"

"I don't believe in fairytales," Sidney said instantly, which only irritated Charlotte further.

"Well, that is neither here nor there," said Charlotte with another sigh. "The point is, he and I were dancing together, and then all the trouble started, and I got separated from the handsome man I was dancing with, and then you stormed into the room and interrupted things further, and I couldn't find him again after that, and now he has apparently returned home with his friends or colleagues due to some sort of emergency. And I am not sure I found out enough about him to be able to find him again-"

"My apologies," said Sidney, and he sounded genuinely sorry, too. There had also been a look of...sadness, almost, in his eyes as Charlotte talked about her 'magical' evening with Charles, although Charlotte was not sure why. Perhaps she had just imagined it. He did not believe in fairytales, after all, so what was it to him if she had spent a magical evening with her 'prince'? "It was not my intention to ruin your evening," Sidney added.

"Well, it makes no difference now," said Charlotte. "He is gone." She knew that she was doing a poor job at hiding a look of devastation from her face.

"What was the man's name?" Sidney asked her after a few moments' pause, his tone slightly softer now, although there was a hint of suspicion in his voice as his stance became tense and alert again. He seemed to be rather concerned about who Charlotte had spent the evening with. "I know many of the guests who were on the invite list for tonight's party," he explained, perhaps on seeing the look of doubt on Charlotte's face at the thought of sharing any information with him. "He could be among my acquaintances; perhaps I will recognise the name-"

"Charles," said Charlotte, still unsure if Sidney was genuinely trying to help her, "his name is Charles."

"There were several guests at the ball tonight named Charles," said Sidney with a frown, as he looked deep in thought for a few moments, "although I am almost certain that they are all elderly men." For some reason, he almost looked relieved that he did not seem to know the man who Charlotte had been dancing with. "Do you know his last name?"

"No," Charlotte admitted, a little sheepishly, really wishing that she had found out more about Charles while she had the chance.

"What did he look like?" Sidney prompted her, the suspicious look briefly crossing his face again. "He didn't happen to have a ridiculous-looking beard and talk extensively about the charity work he claims to be involved in, did he?" he asked, his exasperated expression suggesting that he was certainly no fan of the man he was referring to, whoever he was. Perhaps this was another man called Charles who Sidney knew of.

"No..." said Charlotte with a frown, wondering why Sidney had asked such a thing in the first place, and feeling annoyed that Sidney could be so disparaging about a person's looks and profession. She was really starting to think that she might have been right all along in her more negative assessment of Sidney's character, and that it was Alison who was being overly optimistic in believing that Sidney had hidden depths. "He was tall, with blond hair that fell into beautiful curls," she said, "and he had piercing blue eyes..."

Sidney looked like he was struggling not to roll his eyes at Charlotte's flattering description of Charles. "Doesn't ring a bell," he said, sounding almost grateful that he had not encountered such a man at the ball.

Charlote briefly considered the possiblity that Charles and Edward were in some way connected; that Charles's decision to flee the ball was somehow linked to Sidney's relentless search for Edward this evening, in ways that Charlotte could not quite understand, but she quickly ruled this theory out, deciding that it could not be possible; Charles had made no effort to disguise himself or hide himself away at the ball, after all. Surely he would not have been so blatant in walking around the ballroom, and the rest of the manor house, as well as talking to guests, if someone like Sidney had not wanted him to be there? Charles had not mentioned to Charlotte that he knew anyone called Edward, or Esther, or even Sidney. Besides, Sidney had not seemed to recognise Charles through Charlotte's description of him. It seemed that Sidney did not know him, and had briefly thought him to be another Charles that he knew of. Charles must have left the ball for other reasons, Charlotte decided.

"He left this here with me," said Charlotte, as she held out Charles's red coat for Sidney to see, not yet ready to give up on the possibility of finding Charles, or finding out if everything was okay after his emergency back home. "Perhaps there is some clue to his identity in what he was wearing this evening..."

"May I?" Sidney asked, as he held out his hands, asking Charlotte to hand the coat to him, which Charlotte did, albeit a little hesitantly, but willing to take the chance that Sidney might know something about it. Charlotte still had no idea what Sidney did for a living, but she sensed that he would be very good at solving clues and mysteries. He seemed to be intelligent, after all, even if he did not exactly come across as being friendly. Perhaps there were clues about Charles that she was missing; clues that Sidney could help to work out for her.

Sidney seemed to study the coat in detail for a few moments, including a few medals pinned to its front that Charlotte hadn't noticed up to now. "The King's Guard... perhaps," said Sidney in a low voice as he handed the coat back to Charlotte. "The Guards are usually stationed at the gates of Buckingham Palace in London, as well as St James's Palace, and the Tower of London...and Windsor Castle, too," he explained.

Charlotte listened to Sidney's theory in wide-eyed fascination. The idea of Charles being a King's Guard sounded very noble and chivalrous; almost like something out of a fairytale...

She thought of one of the fortune cookie's recent predictions: 'You have a knight in shining armour.' Perhaps this was all more than just a coincidence, and perhaps this was what the fortune cookie had been referring to.

Sidney however did not sound entirely certain that the coat really did indicate that Charles was one of the King's Guards-"I was not aware that any of the King's Guards were invited tonight," he added. "Perhaps he simply has a relative, or a friend, who was a Guard, and he was just wearing their jacket,"-but it was the only clue that Charlotte had so far, and it was better than nothing.

"He also gave me this, while we were out walking in the gardens together," Charlotte said breathlessly as she hastily held up the little artificial poppy to show Sidney. "He said that it was from an historic place he often visits, to commemorate an event that means a lot to him, and his family-"

"Poppies such as these have previously on display at the First World War Centenary at the Tower of London. Perhaps he is a war veteran, or he has family members who served, or maybe he works at the Tower of London..."

Charlotte felt even more curious to learn more about Charles's history, and to find out if any of Sidney's theories about him were true. Had Charles mentioned any other locations in London to her...?

"Charles mentioned visiting a bar in central London with a fairytale décor," said Charlotte, suddenly remembering more of their conversation in the garden. "I think he said it was called-"

"The Fable," Sidney said instantly, to Charlotte's surprise. "A friend of my family, Georgiana, is throwing a fairytale-themed party there this Friday for her twenty-first birthday," Sidney said in explanation to why he was familiar with the place. "So far, it seems likely that this man you are looking for spends a significant amount of time in London."

Feeling more hopeful now, Charlotte started to go through the pockets of Charles's coat, hoping to find more clues.

This was not something that she would normally have done, in ordinary circumstances, but she felt that as she had already got this far in her search for Charles's identity, she now needed to know more, if she was to have any chance of finding him. The clues she had discovered up to now might not be enough on their own to find him; Charlotte had to find more.

Not to mention that the more hopeful, romantic part of her heart that she had kept locked away for so long was trying to tell Charlotte that Charles had perhaps left his coat with her on purpose, in case they got separated at some point during the evening, so she would have a way to find him again, by following the clues that he had left for her. It seemed like the sort of romantic gesture that he would appreciate, from what Charlotte had seen of him this evening. He had talked of their meeting at the ball tonight being like fate and destiny, after all.

Charlotte found a few train tickets in the outer pockets of Charles's coat, and she showed them to Sidney.

"These tickets are for various train stations in London and Windsor," said Sidney, after a few moments of looking at them. "If he truly is one of the King's Guards, then it is also possible that he is stationed at Windsor Castle..."

Charlotte nodded, becoming ever more fascinated by this mystery. She continued to look through the pockets of Charles's coat until she discovered a little leather-bound notebook in an inner pocket. She flipped through the pages to discover many neatly-written verses that appeared to have been composed using old-fashioned ink. The verses spoke of the beauty of nature, and the radiance of the stars in the sky at night, and the joys and the sorrows of falling in love.

"He really does write poetry," said Charlotte with what she was sure was a dreamy sigh.

Sidney did not even try to disguise the fact that he was rolling his eyes in response to Charlotte's reaction to the poetry book.

Charlotte pointedly ignored his reaction, although she couldn't help feeling a bit annoyed again.

"Can I see that?" Sidney asked her, as he inclined his head in the direction of the poetry book.

Charlotte handed the book to him, fully expecting him to make a scornful comment about it, but Sidney did not even glance at the poetry, instead focusing on the printed words at the back of the book.

"This book was purchased at a book shop on a street in London close to Buckingham Palace," said Sidney, as he handed the book back to Charlotte. "Perhaps he really does work at Buckingham Palace, if he is visiting the shops close to there. Or maybe he lives in that area. It seems that there are now several possibilities as to the places in London where this man might work, or at least visits on a regular basis-"

"Then I shall go to London to try to find him," Charlotte declared, surprising even herself with this bold plan.

And yet, as she said it out loud, it seemed to make a strange sort of sense to her, even as Sidney's eyes widened in shock; like this was her fate and destiny; like London was where she was meant to be, if only for a little while.

'You will attend a party with your true love,' one of Charlotte's fortune cookies had recently predicted. Had Charlotte met her true love here at the ball tonight? Was it now up to her to find him, to seek her happy ending?

She had several important clues now; perhaps she really could find Charles; and if she could not, then would she not have found adventure, and visited some wonderful places, all the same?

Already, she could feel the call to adventure. Perhaps this night at the ball had just been the start of it; the first destination of the journey.

Charlotte had been thinking for a while now that she needed a holiday; a break from Willingden; somewhere new and different and exciting to travel to, and she had been thinking longingly about the capital city for most of the evening while Charles had been talking about it...and now an excuse to go to London had been placed right in her path; it had to be more than just a coincidence...

All the other strange and mysterious things that had happened in the lead up to Charlotte receiving an invitation to the ball suddenly came flooding back to her...

The silver charms placed by Susan in her shopping bag that were shaped like a crown, a castle and a tower-now the charms seemed to be pointing her in the direction of all the locations in London that Sidney had just mentioned where she could possibly find Charles. One of the charms even looked like Tower Bridge! That had to be some sort of hint that she should visit London! Then there was the charm shaped like a flower, and Charles had given her a flower tonight...

And there was also Susan's dream, about Charlotte being in the throne room of a very grand castle, with a king upon the throne in the same room. Charles could work at a castle, as one of the King's Guards...

All the signs seemed to be pointing towards castles and royalty in the quest to find Charlotte's true love. Perhaps Charles really did work for the King; perhaps Charlotte really would find him in a castle; perhaps he would save her from the metaphorical tower that she had placed herself in ever since her break up from James.

Susan's predictions no longer seemed so far-fetched, now that Charlotte had a longing in her heart to find answers.

Perhaps Sidney Parker did not believe in fairytales, but Charlotte was starting to believe in them again.

"Charles clearly left all these items here with me-for me-in the hope that I would follow the clues and find him," Charlotte told Sidney, trying to convince herself more than she was trying to convince him. "Besides, even if that was not exactly the case, someone has to return his jacket and his poetry book to him. They are clearly valuable items that mean a lot to him."

"So let me get this straight," said Sidney, his tone of disbelief and his confused-looking frown interrupting Charlotte's more fanciful thoughts, "you're planning on taking time away from your business, and spending a considerable amount of money to travel to London, with no guarantee of a successful outcome, all in pursuit of a man who you have just met and know next to nothing about?"

Sidney's words felt like ice cold water pouring over the sparks of Charlotte's dream. She couldn't believe that he could be so negative about her finally having the opportunity to find true love and go on an adventure.

"I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand," Charlotte told him, her tone sounding colder than she had intended.

"Someone like me?" Sidney asked her with a raised eyebrow, looking like he was torn between being offended, or being genuinely curious about what Charlotte had just said to him.

"No offence," Charlotte elaborated, "but you don't exactly seem the type to appreciate the beauty of romance, or fate and destiny. You don't believe in fairytales, after all..."

Many conflicting emotions seemed to flash in Sidney's eyes as he regarded Charlotte for several long moments, looking lost in his own troubled thoughts.

"I can help you," he said eventually, sounding as though he were offering help against his better judgement.

"What do you mean?" Charlotte asked him, in genuine surprise and confusion.

"If you choose to go to London," said Sidney, "I can offer my assistance in finding your mysterious Charles while you are there...I have to return to the city by Tuesday, anyway, and I have friends, acquaintances, work colleagues who work in and around all the places where you are planning to go to search for this man. Besides, I have worked in London for several years now; I know the city very well by now. It may be advantageous to have the assistance of someone who is familiar with the city, if you have not often visited. Perhaps I can be of some use to you while you are there."

"But...why?" Charlotte asked him. She knew that in this modern world, it was rare for people to do favours for others unless they were getting something in return. And it was not as though she had been very friendly with Sidney during their interactions this evening. Why would he care about helping her?

"Consider it an attempt on my part to make amends for ruining your evening," said Sidney.

Charlotte looked at him, considering her options.

"I feel it is my responsibility to warn you, however," Sidney continued, "that your decision to go to London, however brave, may not lead to the happy ending that you think it will. Life cannot always be a fairytale. You should consider the very real possibility that Charles is not the man you believe him to be, and that he may not wish to be found. That being said, my offer of assistance in London still stands," he added.

"No, thank you," Charlotte said quickly, unimpressed by yet more attempts on Sidney's part to ridicule her dreams, and her belief in happy endings. Why would he offer his help in London in the first place, if he did not believe that Charlotte would succeed?

I think you've already done enough to ruin my plans, she thought to herself as she turned away from Sidney and started to walk away, the rain still falling heavily all around her.

Charlotte couldn't help feeling more than a little disappointed as she made her way home from the ball during the early hours of Sunday morning.

At the start of the evening, she had left for the ball filled with excitement, wonder and anticipation about what the night would bring...but by the end of the evening, she'd had the distinct feeling that the ball had not turned out the way that she had expected, and she'd had no desire to stay there after midnight, after everything that had transpired.

There was almost a sense of incompleteness about the evening, as though everything had been abruptly interrupted and cut off before it could truly get started, leaving Charlotte with only a sense that she had unfinished business...

Everything that she had experienced throughout the course of the evening still remained a mystery to her, just out of reach, and in spite of discovering what she believed to be several clues about Charles, she wasn't really sure if she would ever find the answers that she was seeking.

Not even the offer of a lift home in the white and silver horse-drawn carriage that Charlotte had discovered had been hired by Susan for the evening could cheer Charlotte up. She had accepted the generous offer, of course, as she could not turn down the rare opportunity to take a journey in an old-fashioned carriage that looked like it had been taken straight out of a fairytale, and it had definitely been preferable to walking home in the rain, but Charlotte felt that she had not really appreciated the novelty of travelling through the streets of Willingden in horse-drawn carriage as much as she should have, or would have, if the circumstances had been a little happier.

Just before she'd got into the carriage, Susan had looked at Charlotte with a sympathetic expression that suggested she knew, or at least sensed, a lot of what had transpired at the ball tonight, but as they had been surrounded by people on the driveway, it had seemed that Susan had been unable to say too much to Charlotte, even though she had looked like she wanted to say more.

Charlotte's parents had still been awake when Charlotte had tiptoed through the front door of their home, trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake anyone who might be sleeping, Alison especially, and hoping that she would be left alone with her disappointment for the rest of the night.

But her parents had greeted her with smiles on both their faces as they'd asked Charlotte eagerly how the evening had gone, wanting to hear all about it. And so Charlotte had put on a fake smile and pretended that everything had simply been wonderful as she recounted her evening, focusing on the beautiful decorations and the delicious food that had been served, and the interesting conversations that she had shared at the table over dinner with the people she knew in the village, and the traditional music that the band had played.

She'd left out the parts about meeting a mysterious man who looked like a prince and had seemingly vanished at midnight, as well as all the parts about the conflict that had taken place, espeically the part about Sidney's fight with three men in the middle of the ballroom-she'd had a feeling that her parents wouldn't be so keen on her attending any other major events in Willingden ever again if she went into too much detail about the more negative aspects of the evening.

Eventually, Charlotte had managed to escape into her old bedroom to start getting ready for bed.

She fell into a fitful sleep, which was troubled by another strange dream...

In her dream, she walked through a dark forest again, having already escaped the gothic-looking castle in the distance, the cool air and the silence of the forest somewhat foreboding, with the few stars in the night sky seeming very far away.

This time, Charlotte noticed a snake in the grass in her dream forest, slithering along beside her as she walked, seeming to track Charlotte through the darkness, no matter where she turned.

Just when she thought she'd turned a corner and escaped the snake, she noticed that it was still close by, sometimes curled around the branches of a tall tree nearby.

Charlotte started to hear the howling of wolves somewhere in the distance, which only added to the spooky atmosphere.

Eventually, she turned and ran in the opposite direction, away from the snake. She ran until she stumbled upon a clearing in the forest, where she noticed that Alison, Susan and Lady Denham were sitting huddled together, all dressed in long, flowing dresses, as though they had just attended a ball. All three of them seemed to be looking from Charlotte to a gap in the trees a few feet ahead of her, their expressions suggesting that they knew exactly where Charlotte was, and where she should be going. It was almost as though they were here to guide Charlotte though the forest, and in the right direction.

"Go where the truth leads you..." Charlotte heard Susan tell her.

Charlotte followed her line of vision and focused on a gap in the trees, where she could see the silhouette of a man, who was standing seemingly at the edge of the forest, still at a distance from Charlotte.

The man had his back to Charlotte, so Charlotte could not see his face. He seemed to be intently focused on something in front of him, perhaps the rays of sunlight that had started to appear on the horizon. All she could make out was that he seemed to have short hair, and he looked tall and strong, and he was dressed in what looked like silver armour, in the way that a knight would perhaps dress in medieval tales.

Charlotte could see the light of the sun all around the man in the distance; it was almost as though the darkness would end if Charlotte could reach the point where he was standing.

Although she could not see the man clearly, here, in her dream world, Charlotte knew somehow, that she needed to get closer to him; she could almost feel her soul gravitating towards him; she sensed that if she could reach him, then she would be safe from all the perils of the forest. Perhaps he was the reason why she had been so eager to run away from the dream castle and into the forest in the first place; so that she could find her way to him...

Charlotte also suspected that these dream versions of Lady Denham, Susan and Alison were in the forest to guide her to him; to lead her in his direction. And yet, Charlotte couldn't explain how she knew this, or why she was having these strong feelings in the first place in her dream. She didn't recognise the man, after all. Why did she feel like he was so important to her?

Charlotte couldn't explain any of it; she just knew that she had to follow her instincts and take the right path.

And so Charlotte left the clearing, breaking into another run as she tried to get closer to her knight in shining armour.

As she approached him, the mysterious man started to turn his head as though to look at Charlotte from over his shoulder...

However, just before Charlotte could catch a glimpse of his face, Charlotte was pulled abruptly out of her dream world as she awoke with a start.

She sat up in her bed and took a few deep breaths as she willed her heart to return to its normal rate, feeling very confused and bewildered as to why these strange dreams had suddenly started to appear to her. What could these dreams mean?

Charlotte lay awake for what seemed like a few hours after that as she watched the rain outside trickling down the bedroom window, while going over several questions in her mind that the events of the evening had left her with...

Should she really go to London in pursuit of the mysterious Charles?

Should she follow the clues she believed he had left for her?

Would she find the answers she was seeking in doing so?

Had she and Charles truly been destined to meet, in the way that Charlotte had felt they had been while she was dancing with him at the ball?

Why had Charles left the ball in such a hurry? Had there really been some sort of emergency in London?

Should Charlotte accept Sidney's offer to help her search for Charles in London?

Charlotte tossed and turned for what felt like the rest of the night, her mind desperately trying to find the answers to all of her questions.

When Charlotte woke up again after falling into a light sleep, the storm from last night seemed to have cleared, and the sun was shining in the sky, having just appeared from behind a cloud.

Although Charlotte had not slept very well, she seemed to have found a bit more clarity in her sleep, and in the bright light of the morning.

Firstly, she couldn't help feeling that she had perhaps been a little bit harsh to Sidney Parker last night, when she had been so caught up in the tension all around her, and her bewilderment at Charles seemingly vanishing before she could find out anymore about him, that she had perhaps taken out her anger on Sidney a little.

He had helped her to come up with the clues that could lead her to Charles, after all, and she wouldn't have even got this far without him in terms of putting together the theories of who Charles could be, and maybe Sidney could prove to be a useful ally in the city-he seemed to know London well, and it wasn't as though Charlotte had any friends there.

Secondly, after last night's dream, Charlotte had a strange sense that she should not make any important decisions about what she was going to do next without first seeking some advice and guidance, and asking for informed opinions about recent events.

And so, there were a a few people she wanted to talk to today, starting with Lady Denham...

Chapter Text

It was late morning by the time Charlotte left her parents' house to head to Lady Denham's manor. The sun was shining in the sky now, with the only hint that there had been a thunderstorm last night being a chill that remained in the air.

Charlotte stopped at the local shops on the way, visiting the florist to buy a bouquet of flowers as a gift for Lady Denham. She knew it was lucky that the florist was open today, on a Sunday, as Charlotte had learned from her years of living in Willingden that this was not always the case with the shops in the village on Sundays.

She also went to the old-fashioned sweet shop, to purchase toffee-flavoured sweets that she knew were favourites of Susan's, as she was planning on visiting Susan today, too, as well as going to the dry-cleaners nearby to put in the dress that Susan had given to her to wear at the ball to be cleaned, as Charlotte was concerned that it had got a bit damaged in the rain.

As she walked the short path past the church that would take her to the manor house, Charlotte fell into a daydream in which she imagined several different scenarios where she reunited with Charles in London, in various romantic settings. In each scenario, Charles was so happy to her again, telling Charlotte of his gratitude to her for returning his jacket and his poetry book to him, and confessing to her that he had not stopped thinking about her since the night of the ball. In her daydream, he told Charlotte that he was so glad that she had come to London, so that they could be reunited...

As she approached the manor house's long driveway, Charlotte hoped that she really could find Charles, and that their reunion would play out just as she had imagined.

The manor house looked to be as grand as ever as Charlotte walked towards the front door, although she felt a hint of sadness on seeing that most of the decorations that had been put up for last night's ball had already been taken down. The party was well and truly over now.

The doormen let Charlotte in when she arrived at the door, recognising her from previous visits, and a member of staff in the house went to announce Charlotte's arrival to Lady Denham, while Charlotte waited in the entrance hallway, starting to feel a bit nervous now.

It wasn't long before she was shown into the spacious drawing room, where Lady Denham was waiting for her. She stood in the middle of the room surrounded by a few little, wooden tables and chairs that had been placed around her. There were various fancy-looking teacups and teapots on the tables, and Charlotte wondered if Lady Denham was throwing some sort of tea party this afternoon. She felt a bit guilty for interrupting what looked like some sort of planned social gathering.

As always, Lady Denham was dressed very elegantly, in a long, flowing dress, with a silk shawl draped around her shoulders, and her posture was so regal that Charlotte almost felt as though she should curtsy as she entered the room. Instead, she held on tight to the bouquet of flowers as she walked nervously into the room.

"Lady Denham," Charlotte greeted her with a polite nod of her head, while Lady Denham regarded her with a suspicious-looking expression.

"What are those for?" Lady Denham asked Charlotte, in her typical brusque manner, as she nodded in the direction of the flowers that Charlotte was holding.

"These are for you," Charlotte responded, as she held out the flowers to Lady Denham, "to say thank you for the invite to a wonderful evening at the ball-"

"Nonsense!" exclaimed Lady Denham, with a shake of her head. "Oh, I don't doubt that you are grateful to have been invited," she said, perhaps on seeing that Charlotte was about to say something to protest, "but that is not why you are here. There's something you want," she said, as she observed Charlotte with a shrewd glance. "More specifically, there's something you want to know. Information pertaining to the ball last night that you believe only I possess; an answer to an important question...Oh, I am well aware that many of the villagers think I'm old and senile, but I can assure you that is most definitely not the case!" she exclaimed, no doubt on seeing the look of shock on Charlotte's face at Lady Denham having guessed so accurately as to why she had come to visit.

"I confess there may be something I wish to know," Charlotte admitted, a little sheepishly.

"Well, what is it, then?" Lady Denham asked her, with an almost resigned expression, as she took the flowers from Charlotte's hands and placed them on a nearby table, barely even looking at them.

"It's about Sidney Parker," Charlotte said slowly, and a little dubiously. "We were talking last night at the ball, and now I am considering whether I should-"

"So, he's finally summoned the courage to ask you on a date, then, has he?" Lady Denham interrupted her, her serious tone and facial expression really suggesting that she genuinely believed that this was what Charlotte had come to tell her.

Charlotte almost let out a gasp of shock at Lady Denham's assumption, and what she might have led her to believe by her own words. "What? No!" she said rapidly as her heartrate started to increase, and she felt a blush creep to her cheeks in her embarrassment. "It is nothing like that!" she insisted, wishing that she'd been a bit clearer in her explanation right from the start. "He has made me an offer of his assistance in a professional-like manner. Besides," she added with another blush, "I hardly think that such an idea has ever crossed Sidney Parker's mind-"

"Don't be so sure," said Lady Denham, in a knowing tone of voice, her expression still serious, which only made Charlotte blush even more.

"Anyway," Charlotte said quickly, eager to change the subject, "that was not what I came here to talk to you about, with regards to Sidney Parker; it was something else entirely, related to his offer of assistance..."

She wondered why Lady Denham's assumption, and the idea of Sidney Parker asking her on a date, was making her feel so hot and bothered in the first place, especially as Lady Denham had clearly got it very wrong...hadn't she?

Of course she has got it wrong...Charlotte silently reminded herself. After all, Lady Denham often heard gossip and rumours at the many events she attended, and it would not surprise Charlotte, if Lady Denham jumped to fanciful conclusions, and misinterpreted things that she had heard, from time to time. Lady Denham might have been very intelligent, but Charlotte was convinced that she had got it wrong this time, at least.

"I am considering travelling to London soon," Charlotte went on to explain, when Lady Denham made no further attempts to interrupt her, "for personal reasons, and Sidney has offered his help with a task I am hoping to complete while I am there. His assistance while I am in London would no doubt be useful, as I hardly know the city at all, as I have not been there recently, and he seems to know it well...but my concern is that I hardly know Sidney, and I am unsure whether it would be wise to accept his help, and spend so much time in an unfamiliar city with a man who I know so little about. You seem to know him better than I do, Lady Denham, and I suppose what I am asking you, is whether you consider him to be...trustworthy?"

Charlotte wasn't sure if she had voiced her concerns very eloquently, but Lady Denham seemed to understand what she was asking. Charlotte also felt a bit guilty for not going into further detail with Lady Denham about her reasons for considering going to London, but she decided that if everything worked out as Charlotte hoped, she could tell Lady Denham the full story when she returned, without the added embarrassment of having not succeeded.

"Oh, Sidney is certainly trustworthy," said Lady Denham, "and noble, and honourable, and any other similar complimentary words one who knows him well might choose to use. He goes to great lengths to care for his family and friends, and there have been times when he has risked his own life to protect those he cares about. I have no doubt that you would be safe with him-"

"Forgive me, Lady Denham," Charlotte interrupted, with a hint of trepidation at challenging such a formidable woman, but curious enough that she needed to know the whole truth, "but only last night, you did not seem to consider him to be so honourable, or noble, or trustworthy. In fact, you seemed to be rather irritated with him, and disapproving of his conduct. You even called his behaviour 'disgraceful', at one point-"

"Oh, my good opinion of him does not mean that I must unconditionally and unquestioningly approve of his behaviour at all times," said Lady Denham. "Certainly not!" she added, her tone determined. "He can be headstrong, I won't deny it, and brave to the point of recklessness, and even rather moody and arrogant at times, as I have told him to his face on several occasions," she said, in her typical direct and brutally honest manner. "It doesn't hurt him to be told, when his behaviour is not fitting for the occasion, as it was most definitely not last night. Sidney appreciates honesty, and he strives to be truthful in return, and he is well aware that his knight-in-shining-armour complex can get in the way of good social etiquette and diplomatic behaviour, at times. But that does not mean that I do not trust him. Far from it. His heart is usually in the right place, when all is said and done."

Charlotte watched Lady Denham intently, trying to process everything that she had just told her. She had no doubt that Lady Denham has given her a truthful assessment of Sidney Parker's character-Lady Denham was nothing if not honest-but Charlotte was also a bit confused as to how Lady Denham could be so critical of certain aspects of Sidney's character on the one hand, while being so sure that Charlotte could trust him (if she chose to accept his help in London) on the other.

Lady Denham must know Sidney really well, Charlotte realised, to be so certain in her opinion of him, and so willing to trust him, in spite of his flaws.

"Thank you, Lady Denham," said Charlotte, "that information will certainly be helpful in making my decision."

"Was there something else?" Lady Denham asked her, looking like she was waiting rather impatiently for Charlotte to start asking more questions.

"Well, there was something..." said Charlotte, deciding that she might as well try, while she was here...

"Well...?" Lady Denham prompted her with a raised eyebrow.

"I was wondering if you perhaps knew of a young man named Charles, who was invited to the ball?" Charlotte asked her hopefully. "I believe he might be one of the King's Guards?"

"I was not aware that any of the King's Guards had been invited," said Lady Denham with a frown. "They have been invited to previous events, but not to this most recent one, as far as I am aware...although I may be wrong in this instance-my team of staff compiled parts of the guest list," she explained. "And some may have attended as the 'plus-ones' of other guests. There were several guests invited from a charitable organisation that helps to raise money for soldiers and war veterans," she added. "Perhaps that is the employment of the mysterious guest you are referring to?"

"No, I don't think so," said Charlotte, trying not to feel too disappointed that Lady Denham seemed to have no idea who the man was. "It's just...he and I seemed to share a connection last night, and I enjoyed dancing with him at the ball, but then circumstances separated us at midnight before I could learn very much about him, and I would very much like to find him again, if possible, although I am aware that this will be difficult, as I know so little about him, and I am going only on the little information and clues I have..."

"What did this 'Charles' look like?" Lady Denham asked her, looking rather curious now, and confused that she did not seem to know who this mysterious guest was.

Charlotte described Charles's appearance, emphasising the beautiful blond curls in his hair.

"The description you have given does not ring a bell," said Lady Denham with a frown. "Perhaps my memory is not as sharp as I thought..."

She looked rather annoyed with herself, on not being able to recognise this man from his description. Charlotte sensed that this did not happen very often to Lady Denham, especially when it came to the guests at the parties that she had thrown, which only made Charles seem even more mysterious to Charlotte. She hoped more than anything that Charles had not merely been a figment of her own overactive imagination.

"The only young man I can think of with fair hair is my niece's ex-boyfriend, Edward," Lady Denham continued with an obvious sniff of disapproval. "However, he had been unceremoniously uninvited from the ball in advance of the evening, and he was prohibited from entering the manor. There were rumours that he snuck into the party last night, but I am not so sure. I would not have made so foolish a decision, in his shoes; not with a man like Sidney guarding the place. Besides," she added, "his hair was rather short the last time I saw him, with not a curl in sight, if I recall correctly. He also had a beard, earlier in the year. And he works for a charity, not as one of the King's Guards-no doubt they would never let him anywhere near a castle, given his poor behaviour! Although I do believe his grandfather was a soldier, once. All that being said...you don't suppose this man could somehow have been Edward, do you?" she asked Charlotte with a frown, and an uncharacteristic hint of concern in her tone of voice.

"No, I don't think he was the person I met at the ball," said Charlotte, almost feeling relieved at reaching this conclusion. She was starting to feel a strange chill down her spine whenever Edward's name was mentioned, probably due to the negative reactions he seemed to provoke in people when his name was brought up in conversation. "The description you have given doesn't sound at all like the man I encountered at the ball. But thank you anyway, Lady Denham."

Charlotte turned to leave, but Lady Denham spoke again, her words halting Charlotte in her tracks: "I suppose you were wondering who the man I was dancing with last night was...?"

Charlotte's eyes widened before she turned around slowly, feeling surprised that Lady Denham had even been aware that Charlotte had been watching her and her mystery man last night, fascinated to know what their history was.

"Oh, I was well aware that he and I were attracting curious glances at the ball," said Lady Denham. "My observation skills have only increased with age, contrary to what some in this village may believe!"

"I know it's not really any of my business," Charlotte started to say. She didn't want Lady Denham to think that she had come here today to find out more about what was obviously a private matter, and she definitely didn't want Lady Denham to feel obliged in any way to tell her about the man.

"I was once a lot like you, you know," said Lady Denham, as though Charlotte had not just spoken. "Even though you may have trouble believing it. I was young, and hopeful, and perhaps a bit naïve, at times; still oblivious to the true cruelties of the world. I spent my days wishing for a happy ending, never wavering in my belief that true love and adventure were just around the next corner..."

Charlotte watched Lady Denham curiously, wondering where she was going with this story...

"One day during this youthful, carefree time in my life," Lady Denham continued, "I was invited to a ball in the village, where I met a handsome, charming man-to me, he was the handsomest man in the world. He was handsome to many others, too," she said, almost with a hint of amusement, "but he knew it! I believed our encounter to be love at first sight. Oh, how we talked and laughed that evening, and we danced the night away!"

"After the night of the ball, he stayed in the village a little while longer, and we spent those days together, walking through the nearby countryside, admiring the beauty of nature, going for picnics in the forest, and walking hand-in-hand through the village, where the eyes of most of the women in Willingden were upon my handsome, charming man. Back then I felt special, in many ways, to be the one who he had chosen. Nowadays, I no longer have time for such vanity."

"Whenever we had to part so that he could return to London, we communicated through letters. Oh, how I missed him when we were apart! It all seems rather ridiculous now, but back then I spent every waking moment longing to see him again, reading and re-reading every word of his letters, and writing my own letters to him in return. I often wrote late into the night, while daydreaming of our reunion."

"I believed what we shared to be love-we had both declared as much, one glorious, sunny day in Willingden as we stood on the bridge, long before any water flowed underneath it. He talked of the future-our future, together-and hinted about marriage, and a proposal. I truly believed that he would be the one I spent the rest of my life with. Alas, it was not to be..."

"What happened?" Charlotte asked hesitantly. Already, the sadness in Lady Denham's eyes as she told the story had hinted to her that this story would not have a happy ending, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear what had happened next. She couldn't help wondering however, why Lady Denham had chosen to tell her this story in the first place.

"Several months after he and I first met," said Lady Denham, "I was unexpectedly invited to travel with a friend of the family to London for a week. The man I loved had been invited to attend a ball in the city that same week. I decided to surprise him at the ball, expecting that he would be happy to see me there...I suppose he was, in a way, but there was something...different about him that night; he was more guarded; more tense; more distant. He seemed to have the weight of the world on his shoulders."

"His family members also did not seem pleased that I was there, to put it mildly. The next morning, I found out why...his family had always expected him to marry well, and they had already taken steps to arrange his engagement to a suitable match; a match who had also been in attendance at the ball that night...he had already been introduced to her, you see, and family members on both sides had already started to talk of their hopes that the two of them would soon be wed-"

"That's awful," said Charlotte in barely more than a whisper, feeling annoyed and upset on Lady Denham's behalf.

"How heartbroken I was, at the time!" said Lady Denham, in apparent agreement with Charlotte's sentiments. "I believe I cried for days, if not weeks, upon finding out that he and I would not be wed after all, as I had dreamed of! And then there was the pain of him being engaged to another! I suppose I should have seen it coming-it was rare for a courtship to go on for very long back then, without the promise of an engagement; but I was young and optimistic, and clinging to my hopes for a happy ending, which often meant overlooking the obvious signs that all was not as it seemed."

"He made it clear that he would have chosen to be with me, if circumstances had been different; if we had been blessed by some sort of miracle that would have allowed us to wed without him being disinherited, but his words were little comfort to a broken heart. We had to go our separate ways, or it would have been too painful to see each other on a regular basis; to be reminded of what could not have been. Times were very different then, and I had not the wealth that I have now. His family had got into a lot of debt, and several tragic losses had left him as the only son and male heir in his family-there were expectations placed upon him, and he had younger sisters to support, and he had to marry well. Besides, he had a family legacy to uphold. He was descended from royalty, or so I heard. Those who move in such social circles often have limits on who they can marry," she said, with a pointed look at Charlotte, although Charlotte was unsure why she was looking at her like that.

"And so he married," said Lady Denham with a sigh, "as did I, eventually, and we were both happy enough, able to move on and find love and look past our heartbreak...but I sometimes found myself thinking about him over the years, during quieter moments. Years later, for better or for worse, circumstances brought us back into contact again, several years after both of our spouses had passed away. We got close again, and I suppose we could have chosen to wed at that point, but perhaps too much had happened by then; too much hurt; too much water under the bridge. We had both lived separate lives, living far apart, with children and grandchildren and extended families of our own, as well as years of memories of our lives lived with our spouses. We both still have our own duties and our responsibilities, and suitors, too, in our separate social circles. We are two very different people now, to who we once were. So instead, he attends the balls I throw at the manor house whenever he can, for old times' sake, and we spend the evenings dancing together, reminiscing about old times, and what could have been..."

Charlotte blinked rapidly several times as Lady Denham finished her story, torn between feeling emotional on hearing Lady Denham's story of lost love and heartbreak, and feeling surprised that Lady Denham had chosen to tell her such a personal story in the first place.

Most people in Willingden believed Lady Denham to be stern, cold, unfeeling, but Charlotte had suspected for a while now that Lady Denham was simply guarded with her heart and her feelings, and her story had in many ways had just confirmed Charlotte's theory about her, and perhaps explained the reasons why she was the way she was. Charlotte felt a wave of sadness wash over her as she thought about how painful it must be, to spend such an important event that Lady Denham herself had organised, dancing with a man who she had once loved deeply, and having to part at the end of the night, left only with thoughts of what could have been.

"I'm sorry," Charlotte told her, and she meant it, too. She could only imagine how difficult it must have been, to have faced such a heartbreak.

"I am not telling you of my past heartbreak to appeal for your sympathy, or your pity," Lady Denham told her, her typically stern expression now returning to her face as she lifted her head and squared her shoulders, as though she were steeling herself; protecting herself from any further pain. "I told you only in the hope that you might avoid similar heartbreak, or disappointment..."

"I don't understand," said Charlotte, with a confused frown.

"You are young, and beautiful, and talented," said Lady Denham. "And you have great potential. I would not like to see you wasting away, chasing a dream; a fantasy; a fairytale; something that could never be. You have your whole life ahead of you; believe me when I tell you that you do not want the most exciting times to be a few stolen moments at balls and parties. The true adventures in life lie outside the confines of the ballroom! Perhaps you do not understand now why I am telling you all this, but you might, with time. You may one day be very grateful for an elderly woman's words of wisdom. Now, if you'll excuse me," she finished, now sounding a lot more like the Lady Denham that Charlotte knew, "I have a tea party to prepare for, which will no doubt turn into an afternoon of meaningless chatter and gossip among the upper classes, and as a result, I will be very grateful to get to bed early this evening!"

"Of course," said Charlotte, as she prepared to leave. She sensed that Lady Denham had shared enough of her more vulnerable side for the day.

Just before she left the room however, Charlotte stopped in the doorway and looked over her shoulder at Lady Denham, thinking of another question that she really wanted to know the answer to.

"Lady Denham?" she asked.

"Yes?" said Lady Denham, with a raised eyebrow.

"How can you be so sure that everything you have told me about Sidney Parker's character is true?" said Charlotte.

"Well, I should think I know him well enough by now," said Lady Denham. "He is my grandson."

Chapter Text

Charlotte had been left with a lot to think about after her conversation with Lady Denham.

As she walked the short journey from the manor back to the village, several thoughts seemed to race around her mind at once...

She was still in shock on discovering that Sidney was Lady Denham's grandson. Charlotte supposed this family connection made sense, when she thought about it, as Lady Denham had seemed to know rather a lot about Sidney Parker during her recent conversations with Charlotte, and she had had no qualms about being bluntly honest with Sidney at the ball, in the way that perhaps only a relative could be. Esther had also mentioned attending the same family dinners as Sidney while she was talking to him at the ball, suggesting that they were both related, as well as Esther's implications that she was related to Lady Denham. But still, it had been a surprise to Charlotte, to hear Lady Denham say out loud that Sidney was her grandson.

She wondered why she had not worked out the family connection before now. Perhaps this was the reason why Sidney seemed to visit Willingden so often, Charlotte realised-because he had relatives in the village.

Charlotte only hoped that she had not said anything too negative about Sidney directly to Lady Denham. It was one thing, for Charlotte to not exactly be Sidney Parker's biggest fan-from what little she knew of him, anyway-but it was another thing entirely to insult him to his relative's face.

The discovery that Sidney Parker was Lady Denham's grandson, however surprising, also made Charlotte more inclined to trust that she would be safe with Sidney, if she accepted his help in London-it was clear that Lady Denham knew him well, and Charlotte trusted Lady Denham's judgement of his character more than she would have trusted the judgement of someone who only claimed to be a casual acquaintance of his.

Then there had been Lady Denham's story of her past heartbreak, which had left Charlotte with even more to think about...

Charlotte couldn't help feeling upset when she thought about Lady Denham and her lost love. She knew that it must have taken Lady Denham a long time, to come to terms with what she had lost, and the life that she could have had; perhaps she had never really got over it.

Oh, what pain she must have silently endured! Charlotte thought to herself as she sighed sadly.

Charlotte was still rather shocked that Lady Denham had chosen to tell her the story in the first place, but there was more to her puzzlement than that; it was the timing of the story being told that truly surprised Charlotte. Why now, so soon after the ball, when Lady Denham could have told Charlotte the same story on any of her previous visits?

Charlotte sensed that there had been a warning, hidden somewhere in that story, told at precisely the time when Charlotte had hinted that she was planning on going to London to find her 'prince'.

Lady Denham's decision to tell the story was also slightly confusing to Charlotte, as Lady Denham had not tried to talk Charlotte out of going to London, or accepting Sidney's help while she was there-if anything, she had seemed to encourage it-and yet, there had been a suggestion, in the telling of that story, that Lady Denham did not believe that Charlotte would find her happy ending in London.

Charlotte tried to put these thoughts to one side for a little while when she arrived at Susan's shop and opened the shop door.

The shop looked at colourful and as cozy as ever when Charlotte walked through the door, with all the unique ornaments on display, along with several elegant dresses in various shades of blue, pink and lilac.

Charlotte felt a sense of calmness wash over her as she stood inside the shop. She felt as though she should visit more often. She had been so busy at the bookshop over the past few months that she had unfortunately had little time to visit the other shops in Willingden.

Susan was sitting behind the counter when Charlotte stepped into the shop, with a few piles of paperwork spread out on the surface in front of her. Charlotte guessed that Susan was making the most of a quiet day at the shop to catch up on a few of the administrative tasks that went with the running of a business.

"Charlotte," Susan greeted her with her a smile, when she looked up from her paperwork and saw Charlotte standing in the shop.

Susan seemed happier to see Charlotte than Lady Denham had been, which was unsurprising to Charlotte, given that she knew both women's personalities fairly well by now.

"Susan," Charlotte greeted her in return, with a smile. "I hope I'm not disturbing you?" she asked, a little tentatively. Susan looked quite busy, and Charlotte didn't want to interrupt her work. She knew from her own experience that there was often limited time to get paperwork done, especially after busy weeks spent serving customers.

"Not at all," said Susan, with a another smile. "Believe me, I am grateful for the interruption. How can I help you?"

"Thank you, these are for you," said Charlotte, as she held out the box of sweets tied up with a pretty pink ribbon that she had recently purchased at the local sweet shop, as well as a mystery novel from the bookshop that she had been meaning to give to Susan for a little while. "I wanted to say thank you, for the beautiful dress from your shop, that you brought for me to wear at the ball yesterday. The dress is currently being cleaned," Charlotte rushed to explain, "as it unfortunately got soaked during the thunderstorm last night. I promise I'll return it to you as soon as-"

"Why don't you keep it for a little while longer?" Susan suggested, before Charlotte could finish. "I have a feeling that there will be another event you might need it for, in your near future," she explained, when Charlotte looked at her with a confused frown.

Charlotte really couldn't think of any formal event that could come up in her near future which she would need the beautiful blue dress for, but she decided to take Susan's word for it, for now. Lately, Susan seemed to have predicted the events of Charlotte's life with far more accuracy than Charlotte herself.

Charlotte thanked Susan again, and then Susan seemed to watch Charlotte closely in the silence that followed.

"I sense that the ball last night did not go quite as you had hoped," Susan said gently after a few moments of silence.

"Something like that..." Charlotte admitted, deciding that she might as well be honest with Susan, as Susan seemed to be able to read her anyway.

She found herself telling Susan about almost everything that had happened last night, at the ball...her feelings of loneliness (and perhaps even sadness) as she had watched all the happy couples dancing together; her retreat to the ballroom balcony, where she had headed to observe the room below, and how she'd ended up meeting Charles there; her initial conversation with Charles-how the two of them had seemed to have so much in common; how Charles had looked almost like a prince; the beautiful dances that they had shared in the ballroom, along with a romantic stroll in the gardens; the way that they had been almost about to kiss, before they were interrupted by a commotion in the gardens, with Charles leaving the room to investigate what was going on, never to return, not even when Sidney Parker had stormed into the ballroom in all his fury; how Charlotte had frantically tried to find Charles, only to hear from one of the doormen a few minutes later that a man matching Charles's description had hastily left the manor house to return to London, due to an apparent emergency; the way that Charles had left his jacket with Charlotte at the ball, which in turn had revealed more clues about his possible identity; how Charlotte was thinking of going to London, to return Charles's jacket to him, and hopefully to find out more about him; how Sidney had offered her his help and his expertise in the search for the mysterious Charles...

"And you came here to appeal to my adventurous spirit, in the hope that I would convince you to go?" Susan asked her, with a definite twinkle of amusement in her eyes.

"I think that's part of it, yes," Charlotte admitted, unable to help an amused smile of her own. After all, she was definitely nervous at the idea of travelling to London in search of a man she barely knew, especially when she had no guarantee that her plan to find Charles would be successful, and a part of her was hoping that Susan, with all her fearlessness, and her words of wisdom, would somehow talk her into going, helping Charlotte to overcome her nerves. "But there is more to it than that," Charlotte added. "You are one of the most sincere people I know, and I trust that you would tell me the truth, if you truly thought that I shouldn't go, or if you thought that I would be taking too much of a risk."

Susan seemed to regard Charlotte for several long moments before she spoke..."I will always be in favour of seeking answers, and answering the call to adventure," she said, "especially when this opportunity to go on an adventure seems to have been placed right in your path. However, that does not mean that I will not also advise caution, especially if your journey does not go as planned..."

Charlotte frowned again, wondering what Susan was really trying to tell her...

There was another long pause, and then: "I'm sure you were wondering who I was dancing with last night, at the ball?" Susan asked Charlotte.

"I'll admit it did cross my mind," Charlotte said slowly, confused by the apparent change of subject, "but I do not wish to pry-"

"There is nothing wrong with being curious," said Susan. She paused again briefly before she continued: "Although it may seem like I have lived in Willingden forever," she said, with a smile that did not quite meet her eyes, and Charlotte sensed that another story was about to be told, or perhaps another cautionary tale; "I once lived a very different life to the life I live now. I used to design dresses for the rich and famous, and even for royalty, at times. I lived the luxurious lifestyle that came with my profession-fashion shows and extravagant parties; private jets; red carpet events. One week I could be in Paris; the next Rome; and London the next."

Charlotte looked at Susan in wide-eyed shock on hearing about the life that she had led before she came to Willingden. Charlotte told herself that she should not be so surprised-Susan had such a wonderful fashion sense, after all-but still, Charlotte had not given much thought before to the fact that Susan had not always worked at this little gift shop in the village. So many of the local residents lived their whole lives in Willingden that sometimes, it was easy to forget that not everybody had been here forever.

"It was at this point in my career when I spent a summer in France," Susan continued, "and there, I met who I believed to be the man of my dreams-in many ways, he was. I was attending the after-party of a very successful fashion show, and there was a sense of celebration in the air, as there had been since the start of that summer in France. Perhaps I was not as guarded with my heart as I should have been, what with the sense of magic that seemed to be all around. At the party, a very handsome, regal-looking man approached me and asked me to dance. I took one look at him, with his bright eyes and his beautiful smile, and I admit I must have been falling already-I was convinced that it had been fate that had led to us meeting that night."

Charlotte continued to stare at Susan, now surprised that Susan was opening up to her about her past. Susan was kind and friendly to everyone in the village, willing to offer advice and guidance to those who sought it, but she had always been somewhat secretive about her own feelings and emotions, and her history. Charlotte suspected that she was about to find out why...

"When we danced," said Susan, "it felt as though we should have been dancing together our whole lives. There was an instant connection between the two of us. We talked for what felt like hours that night, although in some ways it felt like only moments. We shared similar interests, and passions, and we enjoyed travelling to similar places. He was very charming and charismatic," Susan added, with what looked like a fond smile. There was a faraway look in her eyes, as though she were far from Willingden in her mind, back in that moment. "At midnight, he had to leave the party. There was a security team waiting impatiently to take him back to his summer residence. It seemed he had already stayed at the party longer than planned. I had already sensed that he was somebody important and well-known, due to his general demeanor, and the confident way he carried himself, making a point of taking the time to talk to everybody in the room that night, as though they would all know who he was, from the rich and famous to the caterers and bar staff, not to mention the fact that a team of security guards seemed to have their eyes on him at the party, wherever he went," she said with an amused expression. "I believed him to be some sort of celebrity, or perhaps very rich, not that it would have mattered to me, either way."

"He had already told me that he would be staying in France for the summer, and before he left the party, he told me of his hopes that we would meet again before the summer was over. I'll admit that I shared the same hopes, but I did not really want to get my hopes up, when I doubted that this would be the case. His security team was reluctant for him to share any contact details, further confirming my belief that he was well-known, and I doubted that our paths would cross again by chance-that seemed like something that belonged only in a romance novel, or in a fairytale," she explained, with a look at Charlotte.

"He seemed to be very busy and important, with a lot to do during his stay in France that summer, although, at that point, I was still in the dark with regards to his true identity. So, you can imagine my surprise when I ran into him again, only a couple of days later, at another party that we had both been invited to. It felt like something of a miracle. Again, we danced the night away, before he had to leave with his security team. I thought for sure that my luck had run out when it came to the possibility of seeing him again, but we ran into each other again after that, and again, and again, at various parties and events. He finally asked for my contact details-I hoped, more than believed, that he would actually call, but, true to his word, he did, and we spent our spare time talking to one another over the phone in between work and other events."

"We started to arrange to meet, just the two of us, and we spent a wonderful few weeks in France, going for long walks in parks together; going on picnics by the river; going on long drives to the beach; drinking coffee in cafes as we watched the world go by; visiting art galleries and museums. His security team was required to follow him everywhere, but they were discreet enough that I could often imagine that we were entirely alone. It wasn't long before we mutually confessed that we were developing strong feelings for one another. It was one of the happiest moments of my life."

"One afternoon, not long after we had admitted that there was much more than an initial attraction between the two of us, he invited me on a date-a walk in private grounds surrounding a stately home that was often used for royal visits to the country. I believed that he had simply paid money to gain access to the grounds that day, but it wasn't long before I found out that there was much more to it than that...You see," she explained to Charlotte, "that same sunny afternoon, while we were walking through beautiful gardens where many royals had walked before us, he told me that he was a prince in his own country-the second in line to the throne, after his older brother, with his father being the then king. He was spending the summer in France after a busy few months of royal duties. He said he often spent his holidays in countries such as France, Italy and Switzerland; countries that were close enough to his own."

Charlotte noticed that Susan seemed to be deliberately avoiding mentioning the country where this man was from, probably so as not to make it too easy for Charlotte to work out exactly who she was referring to. This was rather a personal story about a member of a royal family, after all.

"He said that due to his feelings for me," Susan added, "he wanted to be honest about who he really was."

"How did you react?" Charlotte asked her, in disbelief.

"To say that I was surprised would be an understatement," said Susan with a smile. "At first, I was shocked, more than anything. I almost believed that he was not telling the truth, at first-that it was all part of some sort of elaborate practical joke-but a glance at several newspapers and magazines revealed that he was indeed telling the truth. The need for constant security suddenly made sense, but that was all that I was able to process, in that moment. He advised I should take some time to think about it all, leaving it up to me whether I wanted to continue seeing him. He made it clear that there would be risks and complications to dating a royal, and even though he wished for us to continue meeting, he wanted to leave the decision up to me-he was used to a life in the spotlight, I was not."

"Perhaps it would have been more sensible to end things there, before we got too close," said Susan, with sadness in her eyes, "but I was younger and falling in love, and I believed that glorious summer would somehow go on forever; that we could somehow find a way of avoiding returning to our real responsibilities for just a little longer. And so I asked to see him again."

"He talked of us having a future together. I was a bit more cautious, as I was aware of the expectations often placed upon royals with regards to who they can marry, but he seemed to believe, or rather hope, that when his older brother became king, hopefully with several children of his own who would be the next in line to the throne, then he would have more freedom to wed who he chose to marry. I truly wanted to believe him. I was spending the summer in a beautiful place, with a handsome man by my side. I felt almost like a character in a novel, caught up in the adventure, where anything was possible. I felt almost like a princess, in my own way, and I wanted to hold on to that feeling for the rest of my life."

"All too soon, however, those summer days came to an end. I worried that I would not see him again, but we managed to stay in touch, arranging to meet at various events around Europe. We grew closer during that time, developing a deeper connection beyond a summer abroad that had felt like an escape from reality. We continued to talk of a future together. Sadly, it was not to be..."

Charlotte felt a wave of sadness wash over her. She had had a feeling that like Lady Denham's story, this story was not going to end happily.

"His life changed, almost overnight," Susan explained. "His older brother lost his life in a tragic accident during his military service. It was a tragedy for the whole country. His brother had been engaged, due to be married as soon as he returned from military service. It had long been expected that he and his wife would have had children, who would then have been the heirs to the throne, after their father. Around the same time, his father was diagnosed with an incurable illness. Suddenly, the eyes of the country of the man I loved were upon him. He had unexpectedly become the next in line to his country's throne; a role that he had never expected to take on. It soon dawned on both him and his country, that he was going to be the next king, and likely sooner, rather than later, due to his brother's death and his father's illness. He had barely had a moment to grieve the loss of his brother, and suddenly, he was under a level of scrutiny that he had never been under before, even as a prince. Many hopes and expectations were placed upon him, especially with regards to who he would marry. After all, he and his future wife would be the parents of the next in line to the throne."

Charlotte couldn't even imagine what it would be like, to face so much grief, and so much responsibility, so suddenly and so unexpectedly. Her daily life working in the bookshop seemed much easier in comparison.

"What happened to him?" Charlotte asked Susan, feeling that she already knew where this story was going.

"He still wished for the two of us to be married," said Susan. "As did I. Again, I was hoping more than believing that this would be a possibility, especially with the change of circumstances. He spoke with his family and senior royal advisors, who categorically refused their permission for an engagement between the two of us to take place. There were arguments and discussions between him and his family, followed by attempts on his part to negotiate, but his family and his advisors wouldn't budge in their decision. They held traditional ideas as to who a royal 'should' marry, especially a royal who was going to be king, and they feared that their rivals would use any excuse to challenge them, and try to take the throne. They did not believe that the people would accept a marriage to a woman with no royal or noble blood."

"And so we were faced with an impossible choice; if he chose to marry me, he would have to abdicate-his family and his advisors had made it very clear that this was the only alternative-and thereby forfeit his family's claim to the throne-there were no other heirs in the family to take his place. The throne would have been handed to another noble family, his distant cousins, with no guarantee of how effectively the members of this family would have ruled. And still he talked of going against his family's wishes and marrying me..."

"What did you decide to do?" Charlotte asked her, her whole body tense. Deep down, she already knew the answer; she knew Susan's character well enough to know what she had likely decided.

"I couldn't let him do it," said Susan, with a sad sigh. "I couldn't ask him to give up the throne for me. I knew that he would be a wonderful king," she added, probably on seeing the look on Charlotte's face. I saw during the time we spent together that he cared deeply about people-he always stopped to talk to people, to ask them how their day was going, to see if there was anything he could do to help; he took a genuine interest in their lives. He was always trying to find ways to help others. He worked as a volunteer for various organisations, as well as supporting many charities. He donated money to those in need. He had strong leadership skills, and he talked passionately of all the changes he would make if he were king, long before he ever knew this was a real possibility; changes that would improve the lives of many people in his country. As king, he would have had the real chance to effect such changes; to do even more good. As much as I cared about him, I could not let him waste such an opportunity."

"And so, I came to the heartbreaking conclusion that his country needed him more than I did. I made the decision for the both of us; I had to walk away. Sometimes, our destiny is greater than our own hopes and dreams, and I felt that being king was his destiny..."

Susan paused for a few moments, apparently reflecting on this painful moment in her past as she seemed to be trying to find the strength to finish telling the story.

"As painful as the decision was at the time," Susan continued, as she seemed to steel herself, "he is in fact a wonderful king-it eases the pain somewhat, to know that I was right, in that respect."

"And in many ways," she added, "he helped me to decide what I wanted to do with my life; how I wanted my future to look. The fashion world seemed rather empty for me, after that experience, as well as a daily reminder of what I had lost. I travelled around for a little while, living in several places, but never really settling anywhere, until one summer, I happened to travel to Willingden, booking a last-minute break here almost entirely by chance-it had seemed like the perfect, quiet little village to escape to, after the whirlwind of my previous life in the fashion world, where no one was likely to know who I was, or what I had lost...until today, that is," she said, with a look at Charlotte. "I had only been planning on staying here a short while, but this shop just happened to be up for sale when I arrived, and I fell in love with it at first sight. It seemed like fate, destiny, and so I bought the shop, and I stayed here."

"Did you ever see him again?" Charlotte couldn't help asking Susan.

"Oh, I still see my prince every now and again," Susan replied, "even now that he is king. We cared about each other too much to lose touch, although circumstances dictate that we can no longer be as close as we once were. His heart belongs to his country now. Once or twice a year, he receives an invitation to Lady Denham's ball-he has friends from noble families in England who regularly attend the ball and happen to be mutual friends of Lady Denham. Whenever he can attend, he invites me to go with him as his plus-one. We spend the evenings at the ball dancing together, catching each other up on our lives, and reminiscing about the times we used to spend together. However, we have strict rules now for when we are together-we can dance together, but we do not hold hands, or get too close, or share any intimate secrets. Things are not as they once were. We can only be old friends now, not lovers. There are lines we cannot cross, and yet, the spark is still there between us, and the rules are not always easy to follow. Perhaps it would be easier, to never see each other again," said Susan with a distant look in her eyes, as though she were simply thinking out loud, "but I cannot lose him completely."

Susan's focus seemed to return to her surroundings again as she finished her story.

"Susan, I am so sorry that you did not get your happy ending," Charlotte said sincerely, feeling heartbroken on Susan's behalf. She could only imagine the pain she must feel every time she attended the ball, seeing the man she loved, and knowing that they could not be together, even though Susan had once hoped that they could be; knowing she could never ask him to give up such an important role that allowed him to do so much good; being so close to him for that one evening, and yet so far.

"I do not regret coming to Willingden," said Susan, her tone determined, despite the look of sadness in her eyes. "This village was the joy I found amidst the sorrow. I have made a beautiful life for myself here, and I care deeply for the people in the village. I feel that I can do a lot more good here than I ever could have done in the fashion world. In many ways, my past heartbreak, however painful, helped me to realise the path I truly wanted to take in life. One adventure led to another, and both were meaningful, in their own ways..."

"I would never advise turning down an opportunity to go on an adventure," she added, after a few moments' thought, "but I would advise keeping an open mind, especially if the adventure does not go as planned. It is beautiful to dream of a happy ending, but our true strength lies in our ability to find happiness and fulfilment when we don't get a fairytale ending."

Just as Charlotte was getting ready to leave Susan's shop a few minutes later, Susan spoke to her again: "I know that you have your...misgivings about Sidney Parker," she said, "based on what you know of him so far, and please feel free to disregard my advice, if you feel that I am overstepping, but I simply want to suggest to you that perhaps there is more to Sidney than meets the eye. He has visited this shop several times, often with his nieces and nephew, and he had always been very kind. He cares deeply for his nieces and nephew, as well as his other family members. He is protective of those who are going through difficult times, like his cousin, Esther, and his mother's friend's daughter, Georgiana. He always defends those who cannot defend themselves. He is also an...acquaintance, of sorts, of my former prince, who always speaks highly of him," she added, and Charlotte sensed that there was more to the story there. "Perhaps it would not be such a bad thing, to get to know Sidney better, if you go to London."

"Do you really believe Sidney Parker to be so kind?" Charlotte asked Susan, her tone full of doubt. "He seems to go out of his way to come across as being arrogant and rude, and he frequently reminds me of his disdain for fairytales," she added with a roll of her eyes.

Susan seemed to think very carefully before she responded: "From my experience over the years, I have often found that there is no one who dislikes fairytales more than a person who once longed for a happy ending of their own, and did not end up getting it, despite their best efforts."

Charlotte was in something of a daze when she left Susan's shop and started to walk through the village, in the direction of her parents' house.

She was saddened by her recently discovery that Susan had suffered heartbreak, similar to the way that Lady Denham had also been left heartbroken. It was a great pity, she thought, that Susan had not ended up with her prince; with the man she had loved, and perhaps still loved; that she had to content herself with a few shared dances with her lost love once or twice a year, knowing that they could never truly be together, due to his royal duties.

Charlotte had always sensed that Susan had pain from her past that she hid behind her cheerful demeanor, but it was all too easy to ignore that nagging feeling sometimes, especially when Susan walked through the streets of Willingden in her colourful, flowing skirts, her hair blowing gently in the breeze as she happily greeted all the people who passed her. Perhaps it had been easier to pretend, that Susan's life was always cheerful and beautiful. But now, Charlotte knew for sure that there really was sadness, hidden behind Susan's happy smile, and Charlotte felt guilty for not realising this sooner.

Charlotte was glad that Susan had found happiness in Willingden; that she was not sorry that she came to live and work in the village, but she was also aware that this did not mean that Susan lived without a sense of sadness, or regret, for all that she had lost.

Did Susan believe that Charlotte was getting herself into a similar situation? Did she think that she had actually met a real prince at Lady Denham's ball, and was now heading towards a similar heartbreak, due to the possible royal status of the man she had met?

Charlotte's more preoccupied thoughts were interrupted when she looked at her phone and saw that her sister was calling her.

"Charlotte!" exclaimed Alison, the moment Charlotte answered the call. "I can't believe I haven't had an opportunity to talk to you about the ball yet! I'm so sorry-I went to bed early last night, and then I had to be up so early this morning, to travel to football training! I've only just got a bit of a break to call you."

Charlotte couldn't help missing the days when she and Alison had often talked for hours into the night about the parties they had attended, but she knew that in spite of the early mornings and long hours of training, Alison was happy and exactly where she wanted to be-training to play for a team that she had wanted to play for for most of her life. Right now, Alison needed to focus on playing football, not on staying up late to discuss parties with Charlotte, even though this thought saddened Charlotte a little.

"I understand," said Charlotte, "you don't need to apologise." And then she started to tell Alison about everything that had happened at the ball last night, speaking rather hurriedly, as she sensed that Alison didn't have much time to talk before she had to return to her training. She told her about Charles, and how he had vanished at midnight, leaving only his jacket and a few other clues, all of which seemed to point in the direction of London.

"Charlotte! You have to go to London!" Alison insisted, after Charlotte explained that she was considering travelling there to see if she could locate the mysterious Charles, and return his jacket to him.

"Do you really think so?" Charlotte asked her, still a little hesitant, especially after the stories she had recently heard from Lady Denham and Susan.

"Yes!" said Alison. "This all seems like far too much of a coincidence, doesn't it? What with all the signs pointing towards London-the charms, the fortune cookies...and I saw you looking longingly at that new London guidebook the last time I visited the bookshop," she added with a laugh. "And now a reason to go to London has been placed right in your hands! It almost seems like fate, destiny..."

"Alison, I'm not sure..." said Charlotte, allowing the doubt to creep in, now that she knew the moment to make a decision was getting closer. "After speaking to both Lady Denham and Susan today, I don't feel as certain about going as I did last night at the ball. I feel like they were both trying to warn me that I wouldn't find my happy ending there-"

"Would it not be worth going anyway, even if you don't get the fairytale ending you expect?" Alison suggested. "I know how much you love working at the bookshop, Charlotte, but I feel like you've been wanting to go on an adventure for a while now; I feel like you need a break from your daily routine. Perhaps the invitation to the ball was just the start of it. Maybe London is your adventure!"

Still, Charlotte felt a little hesitant...

"You should ask yourself," Alison told her, after a few moments of silence, "what would be the most difficult decision for you to live with? The decision to go to London and face the initial nerves about being there, and possibly a few hiccups along the way while you are in the city, or the decision to not go; to stay in Willingden, wondering what might have been? Think about it very carefully, Charlotte, before you make your final decision..."

Charlotte and Alison talked for a few more minutes after that, with Alison updating Charlotte on how her football training had been going so far.

Charlotte walked through the village slowly as she talked to her sister, stopping to look at some of the displays in the shop windows along the way.

"You should plan your journey soon, Charlotte, if you choose to go to London," Alison reminded her, when the conversation turned again to the capital city. "It's better that this man's jacket is returned to him sooner, rather than later. He might be looking for it, wondering where it went-perhaps it has sentimental meaning to him-and it might take you some time to find him in London..."

It wasn't long before Alison had to return to her training session. Before she ended the call, she promised Charlotte that she would be in touch again soon.

Charlotte continued her journey out of the village's main street, thinking about her conversations with Lady Denham, Susan and Alison.

She thought about the question that Alison had just asked her, about which decision she would regret the most. In her heart of hearts, Charlotte knew that no matter what happened, she would regret not going to London more than she would regret going, even if it turned out that she did not end up finding her fairytale happy ending there.

Besides, Charlotte had less to lose by going on this adventure than Lady Denham and Susan had had to lose, didn't she? Charlotte was not in as deep as they were, having only met Charles very recently. She surely had more to gain by going to London than she had to lose. Even if her plans did not work out, she was not at risk of being left as heartbroken as Susan and Lady Denham had been, was she? They had faced greater losses than Charlotte could possibly face on this journey, and still they had bravely faced their heartbreak and managed to rebuild their lives. Perhaps she should try to borrow even a little bit of their bravery and be bolder in making decisions; perhaps she should take a calculated risk, this time, in the hope that things would turn out differently for her.

As Charlotte started to walk over the bridge that would take her away from the main part of the village, and a ray of sunshine seemed to shine down on her, she was filled with a sudden sense of clarity. She knew exactly what she was going to do; what she needed to do...

Charlotte was going to London.

Chapter Text

The rest of Sunday afternoon seemed to pass in something of a blur, after Charlotte made the decision to go to London.

There seemed to be so much for her to do, to get ready for her journey. First, she went to her parents' house, where she picked up a few of her things that she had left there the night before, before she hurriedly tried to explain her plans to her parents. For safety reasons, Charlotte wanted her family to know where she was planning on going, but she was also concerned that her parents would try to talk her out of it...Her mum and dad rarely left Willingden, with Charlotte's father only (begrudingly) going to London once a year to attend a work conference in the city that he felt he should attend as part of his job, and both of her parents did not always understand that there were adventures to be found outside the village.

Charlotte's mum and dad were already a bit sad at the thought that Alison's new job would likely take her far from Willingden, and, as predicted, they shared their concerns about Charlotte travelling to London alone.

Charlotte remained firm in her decision however, in the knowledge that in spite of their concerns, her parents wouldn't try to stop her from doing what she truly wanted to do. She appreciated their concern, and their guidance, but she was an adult, and she felt that she had to make this decision on her own.

Next, Charlotte returned to her little flat above the bookshop, where she hastily started preparing for her trip to London. She wanted to go to the city as soon as possible, as she knew that she would have time to talk herself out of going, if she delayed her trip for too long, and Charles could then potentially spend even more time without his jacket and poetry book-items that likely meant a lot to him. Tomorrow seemed as good a day as any to travel.

Charlotte scrolled through a few hotel booking websites on her phone, trying to find a hotel in London that was reasonable in price while still being comfortable and central to the city. Finally, she decided on a little, family-run hotel called The Brothers. The hotel seemed to stand out to Charlotte-she liked the slightly old-fashioned look to it, with the building being a converted Georgian house on a residential street, and, due to recent renovation work (some of which was still taking place), the price to stay at the hotel over the summer had been reduced, with the discount making it more affordable for Charlotte.

When she clicked on a few of the photos of the hotel's rooms, Charlotte noticed that adverts kept appearing on the page for what looked like a holiday resort in the woodland near Sanditon beach, including photographs of beautiful little wooden cabins in the forest, with a lake in the background of the pictures, which Charlotte thought was rather strange, as Sanditon beach was much closer to the Willingden countryside than it was to London.

Something about the forest in the photos seemed very familiar to Charlotte, in a way that went far beyond a passing recognition, although she couldn't quite place where this sense of familiarity was coming from. Perhaps she had simply visited the forest, or the holiday resort, during her childhood; it wasn't very far from the village, after all.

She wondered if The Brothers Hotel in London and the woodland resort near Sanditon beach were linked in some way. She saw the names 'Arthur' and 'Diana' appear in the reviews section of the woodland resort-perhaps they owned the resort-but Charlotte felt that she didn't have time to investigate further as to whether their names were also linked to The Brothers hotel, as she really did have to get on with making her reservations.

Charlotte reserved a room at The Brothers Hotel for four nights-from Monday to Friday. She would have liked to have stayed there for a weekend, too, or even just for the Friday night, but the hotel cost more to stay at weekends, steadily increasing in price towards the end of the week, and the cost would have been a little out of her price range, especially as she also needed to pay for her train tickets, and she would need additional money to visit various attractions when she was in London.

She felt a bit anxious at the thought that she would have so little time to find Charles when she arrived in the city, if she was only going to be staying at her hotel from Monday to Friday. She wondered if she would be able to find cheaper accommodation while she was there, if she wanted to stay in the city for longer.

After she had reserved her hotel room, Charlotte booked her train tickets online, trying to find the cheapest return tickets possible. She managed to purchase an open return ticket at a fairly reasonable price, so she was reassured somewhat by the fact that she could technically stay for a little longer in London, if circumstances allowed her to.

She then sent a text to Alison, letting her know her plans. She wanted as many people as possible to know where she was going to be for the next few days.

And then, Charlotte started packing. She found her large suitcase at the top of her wardrobe-it hadn't been used for a while-and started to fill it with items of clothing, pausing to search for her old fashioned camera, which had once belonged to her grandmother, who had loved to travel, and Charlotte felt it would be fitting, to take the camera on her journey with her. She wanted to take lots of photographs of her adventure-after all, this could be the journey where she reunited with the man of her dreams, and Charlotte wanted to have something to remember it by.

When Charlotte returned to her packing, she was tempted to fill her suitcase with pretty dresses and high-heeled shoes, in the hope that she could somehow attend lots of fancy parties and events while in London, living like a princess in a fairytale while she was there, but she knew that realistically, this would likely not be the case. She would have to be practical, in her search for Charles, and Charlotte knew that she would probably be doing a lot of walking in the city, and she would therefore need comfortable clothes and shoes. And so, Charlotte made sure to pack plenty of clothes and shoes that would be suitable for travelling on public transport and walking around a busy city, although she also packed some smarter clothes, too, and she left space in her suitcase for the beautiful dress that Susan had given to her, that she could pack when she picked it up from the cleaners in the morning.

Charlotte then packed a few more travel essentials, making sure to pack Charles's jacket, before deciding that she would also pack a smaller bag with more travel items later.

She had just sat down with a freshly made cup of peppermint tea so that she could relax for a little while and try to calm her more frantic thoughts, when she heard the sound of the doorbell. A quick glance at the camera on an app on her phone showed her that it was Susan at the door.

Charlotte let her in, and when Susan walked into the flat, Charlotte noticed that she was carrying a small, light brown suitcase that looked like it had once been used many years ago, during a different era.

"I thought you might need an extra case to take to London," said Susan with a knowing smile. "I sensed that you had already made the decision to go..."

Charlotte thanked her, telling her that the timing was perfect, as she had just been thinking about finding another suitcase.

Susan accepted Charlotte's offer of a cup of tea, but she insisted that she wasn't going to stay for long, as she wanted Charlotte to have plenty of time to finish her packing and get a good night's sleep.

Charlotte also suspected that Susan was perhaps feeling a bit emotionally vulnerable after revealing so much about her past to Charlotte earlier, and she probably didn't want to go into further detail after everything that she had already said.

"Is there something on your mind, Charlotte?" Susan asked her, when she had nearly finished her tea.

"I'll admit I'm feeling a little confused," Charlotte told her, deciding to just be honest with Susan. "Before I was invited to the ball, you seemed convinced that I would soon be dancing with my prince, yet earlier today, I got the impression that you sensed that I won't find my prince in London; that I'm somehow heading for heartbreak there. Lady Denham seemed to imply the same, too..."

Susan looked very contemplative before she responded: "I am similarly confused," she said. "Although I can't speak for Lady Denham, my head is telling me to advise caution, while my heart is telling me that you will soon be dancing with your prince, in a place far from Willingden-all of my recent dreams have been suggesting as much. Although, in some of my dreams, your prince seems to be wearing armour, rather than a crown, which I'm aware sounds rather strange..."

Charlotte was intrigued by Susan's words. She thought of Charles, and how he had looked a bit like a soldier at the ball, and how all the evidence seemed to point to him being one of the King's Guards. Perhaps he really was her knight in shining armour; the man of her dreams. Susan's dream-like visions seemed to hint as much, didn't they? Maybe this was yet another sign that she really should try to find Charles in London.

Susan prepared to leave not long after that. "Enjoy your wonderful adventure, Charlotte," she said as she parted, "but be careful; I would not wish what happened to me on anyone, especially those I care about."

After Susan had left, leaving Charlotte feeling more confused than she had been before she arrived, Charlotte returned to her packing, thinking about everything that Susan had told her today.

She packed a few more items in the case that Susan had just given to her, before she started to think about which books she should take to London. She wasn't sure if she would have much time for reading while she was there, but she wanted to bring books with her all the same, as they always provided comfort and reassurance wherever she went.

Charlotte packed a London guidebook that she had recently started to read, as well as the book of fairytales that she had been reading during her breaks at the bookshop. She hoped that she was about to experience a fairytale of her own.

Charlotte typed out a notice to put up on the front door of the book shop, informing her customers that she would be away from Willingden for the next few days, and would deal with any enquiries on her return. She also added that any urgent enquiries in the meantime could be sent to Charlotte's parents, or one of the other shopkeepers, who could in turn get a message to Charlotte. It wasn't unusual, for other people who ran businesses in the village to help out whenever a shopkeeper was away from Willingden.

She spent the rest of the evening going through a few maps of London online on her laptop, and making a list in one of the pretty notebooks that she sold in the shop of all the places in the city that she wanted to visit.

She also tried to find out more information about Charles. A search through various social media pages didn't bring up any results-Charlotte didn't have much to go on with her social media search in the first place, as she only knew Charles's first name.

She searched a few websites to see if any information came up about Charles on London news pages, or even the local news.

The only local news article that she found about a man named Charles referred to an elderly man from the village of Windsor who had made a generous donation a few years ago to a charity that supported retired soldiers. It was a heartwarming article, but he clearly wasn't the man who Charlotte was looking for.

Charlotte wondered if the King's Guards perhaps had to be private and discreet, when it came to their online presence.

Giving up on searching online, Charlotte started to search through the pockets of Charles's jacket again, to see if there was anything she had missed. She found a couple of receipts for drinks at The Fable tucked away in the corner of one of the inside pockets of the red jacket, confirming that Charles really had visited the bar recently that he had mentioned at the ball. Charlotte added the storybook-themed bar to her list of places that she felt she should visit while in London.

Charlotte felt like there was still so much more that she could do; so many more of London's landmarks that she could research, but she also knew that she would have to at least attempt to get a good night's sleep, if she was going to be at her best in the morning, when her journey to London would begin.

She made herself a cup of chamomile tea and got into bed.

Charlotte fell into a disturbed sleep, and she ended up back in the world of her strange, recurring dream, in which she ran down the steps of the gothic castle, one of her high-heeled shoes falling off this time in her hurry to leave the castle behind. But Charlotte kept running, so eager to escape the castle that she did not stop to retrieve her lost shoe.

She ran towards the mysterious forest, where the trees were soon towering over her. She could hear the ominous sound of wolves howling in the distance, and she saw the snake again, slithering around a tree, its hissing sounding rather menacing.

This time, Charlotte also noticed a unicorn running through the forest, its coat so bright it almost looked silver in colour. The unicorn looked just like one of the magical creatures in the fairytale books that Charlotte loved to read.

Charlotte was a bit confused in her dream as to why the unicorn was there, but she felt reassured by its presence all the same. She felt like nothing in the forest could truly harm her now; she felt like everything would be all right in the end, as long as she had such a magnificent creature to protect her.

Charlotte kept running in her dream, moving as fast as she could towards the clearing in the forest, where she knew her knight in shining armour would be waiting, probably looking out into the distance, at the world beyond the forest.

This time in her dream, Charlotte was sure that she could make out a white sandy beach in the distance; a beach that the mysterious man seemed to be looking at through the gap in the trees.

Charlotte tried to get closer to the mystery man, but, to her disappointment, she woke up before she could catch a glimpse of his face.

It was still dark outside when Charlotte awoke from her dream, but Charlotte lay awake for a little while, pondering her recurring dream. She found it rather bizarre, that she was starting to see snakes in the forest in her dream world-after all, she had never once seen a snake in the British forests that she had visited over the years, nor wolves. And she was well aware that unicorns only existed in storybooks. She wondered why these creatures were appearing in her subconscious mind, when their appearance was not an every day occurrence for her.

Then there was the mysterious man in the forest clearing. Who was he? Why was he appearing to her dressed like a knight, when Charlotte had always been so fascinated by handsome princes?

She tried hard to remember if the man in her dream had looked anything like Charles, but the man's appearance was so unclear in this recurring dream that she really couldn't be sure if there was any connection. All she could remember was that the man had looked strong and brave.

With her mind not providing her with any logical answers to her questions, Charlotte closed her eyes and willed herself to go back to sleep for a few more hours.

She had a feeling that she would continue to have the strange dream throughout her journey to London.

It felt like only minutes later that the sun was shining into Charlotte's bedroom window through a gap in the curtains.

Charlotte blinked a few times, still feeling a little groggy, but when she sat up in bed, she felt a mixture of nerves and excitement, which spurred her on to get up out of bed and start getting ready for the journey ahead.

She got dressed and ate a quick breakfast, and after she had headed to the cleaners to pick up her dress (trying not to think too much about how the cost of cleaning was an added expense to an already stretched travel budget), she returned to do a quick, final check of her flat and the bookshop, putting up the notice in the window about the shop closing for a few days. Charlotte then locked up the bookshop and her flat, and she headed outside with her luggage on what was promising to be a bright, sunny day.

Still, Charlotte couldn't help feeling a brief wave of sadness as she glanced over her shoulder one last time. As much as she was looking forward to going to London, it didn't mean that she wasn't going to miss her little flat, and the bookshop, while she was there, as well as the village in general.

Charlotte longed for adventure, but Willingden was her home.

As Charlotte walked past the other shops in the village, wheeling her luggage behind her, she noticed up ahead that the horses and carriages were in Willingden today, waiting in the village square to take any passengers to the local destinations they wished to visit.

The horse and carriages were especially popular among tourists who visited the village, but they only came to Willingden once or twice a month.

Charlotte decided to pay for a horse and carriage to take her to the nearest train station, instead of calling a taxi or attempting to walk with her luggage, feeling like she should make the most of the opportunity while the horses and carriages were in the village square. She took their presence in Willindgen today as yet another sign from the universe that her adventure was about to begin.

As the horse and carriage that Charlotte had chosen to travel in made its way through the winding paths on the outskirts of Willingden, offering beautiful views of the countryside along the way, Charlotte could almost imagine that she was a princess, on her way to a beautiful castle to be reunited with her prince.

It wasn't long before Charlotte arrived at the nearby train station, where she was going to wait for the local steam train to arrive. The steam train and its old-fashioned station were also very popular with visitors to the area. She'd thought it would be a novelty, to start her journey on a train that looked like it had been taken straight from a classic novel and was also an historical reminder of times gone by.

Charlotte would only be travelling on this particular train for a few stops before she arrived at the local area's main, modern train station to change to another train, which would then take her the rest of the way to London. She knew that she was taking the long way round, by taking part of her journey on the steam train, but she felt that it would be worth it, to add to the sense of adventure.

She wasn't waiting for very long on the platform before the steam train arrived. She was still happy that she had decided to take the train from here before changing to the main train for London, as the steam trains always looked prettier than the more modern trains-in Charlotte's opinion, anyway. This particular train was dark green in colour, with large windows. Perhaps trains such as these looked more elegant as they were now used only for travelling short distances through the quiet countryside, rather than for longer, high-speed journeys.

The platform was a flurry of activity when the train arrived, with a lot of passengers getting onto the train at once, several of them carrying large bags and suitcases, like Charlotte.

Charlotte was barely aware however of the other people getting on the train as she concentrated on climbing up the steps into the carriage with her luggage, stowing her larger suitcase in the nearest bag hold before walking down the narrow aisle with her bag over her shoulder while carrying her small suitcase as she searched the carriage for an empty seat.

The interior of the train was also rather fancy, with dark blue seats, some of them with little wooden tables in front of them, and even carpet on the carriage floor.

Finally, when the train had started moving, Charlotte found a spare seat at the end of the carriage. She was glad that it was a window seat, so that she could watch the countryside go by through the glass as she travelled.

It was only after she had sat down and taken a look around at the people sitting by her that she suddenly noticed that Sidney Parker was sitting diagonal to her on the train, with only the narrow aisle and a couple of other passengers between them. Charlotte blinked in surprise a few times-she hadn't even noticed Sidney getting on the train on the platform, as she had been so distracted with getting all her luggage onto the train.

It seemed that Sidney Parker was also travelling to London today, and he had surprisingly chosen the same route as Charlotte.

Sidney nodded politely at Charlotte when he noticed her on the train, but Charlotte could see that he was distracted, typing something rapidly on his phone with a frown on his face, like he was sending a long message, or an email.

Charlotte suddenly realised that in all the rush of getting ready for her trip to London, she had not made a decision as to whether or not she was going to accept Sidney's help in finding Charles while she was there.

She still didn't know what she was going to do; the people she had talked to about Sidney spoke so highly of him, but still Charlotte had not seen for herself the more positive side of Sidney Parker that others seemed to insist was there, which was making her more hesitant about potentially spending a lot of time with him in London.

Charlotte looked out the window, lost in her thoughts for a few moments. The fields and the rolling hills outside the window were fast turning into woodland, with the train passing tall, green trees that were becoming increasingly dense with each passing moment.

Charlotte turned away from the window in time to see Sidney get sidetracked from whatever it was he was typing on his phone when he received a phone call.

"What is it, Crowe?" Sidney asked when he answered the call, in what sounded like a tone of false seriousness, as it seemed like there was affection behind his words.

Charlotte guessed by his tone that he was good friends with the man he was talking to.

"Parker!" Charlotte could hear a male voice call out enthusiastically through Sidney's phone, even from where she was sitting. It was lucky, she thought, that all of the passengers around them were wearing headphones, lost in their own little worlds of music and technology, despite travelling on such an old-fashioned train. "Rumour has it that you caused quite a stir at the ball in Willingden on Saturday night!" the man-Crowe-continued, with obvious amusement in his voice. "From what I heard, you took on ten of Edward's minions at once! Pity Edward wasn't in the room, too, to get a taste of his own medicine!"

"Now, Crowe," Charlotte heard Sidney say, "you know very well that the people who frequently attend those sorts of parties have a tendency to exaggerate..." Sidney's tone was serious, even though he looked like he was fighting off a smile, which caused Charlotte to feel a bit irritated.

"Oh, don't be modest, Parker!" said Crowe, sounding like he was trying not to laugh. "After all, modesty's never been your strong point before, why start now?" he added with a laugh. "We both know that this isn't the first time something like this has happened. You seem to attract drama everywhere you go, especially when it comes to Edward."

There was definite amusement in Sidney's facial expression now, which only caused Charlotte's irritation to rise. It was clear that Sidney was a bit flattered by his friend's praise, even though he was apparently being praised for getting into a fight at a formal event-something he did a lot, apparently, from what his friend was saying.

With a roll of her eyes, Charlotte tried to distract herself from Sidney's phone conversation by talking Charles's poetry book out of her bag and reading through some of the verses about the beauty and the wonder of the forest.

When she looked up again, she noticed that Sidney was looking in her direction, and he did not even try to disguise the fact that he was rolling his eyes as he glanced at the poetry book that Charlotte had just been reading.

Charlotte glared at him until he returned his focus to his phone conversation. It seemed that Sidney had no appreciation for the beauty of poetry, unlike Charles, in the same way that he had no appreciation for the joy of fairytales.

Not for the first time, Charlotte thought about how she and Sidney seemed to see the world very differently.

Charlotte was completely distracted from her thoughts however when the train suddenly lurched forward, knocking the poetry book to the floor and almost throwing Charlotte out of her seat before she managed to steady herself at the last second by holding on tight to the armrest as the train started to slow right down, almost coming to a complete stop.

There were a few gasps of shock from the other passengers as they too seemed to have been equally startled by the steam train's sudden jolt.

Only Sidney seemed to have remained relatively still in his seat. He somehow had the air of someone who was used to keeping calm under pressure, and at high speeds. He was however looking at Charlotte with concern in his expression, and an almost protective look in his eyes, like he was preparing to jump out of his seat to try to protect her, if necessary.

The way that Sidney was looking at her made Charlotte feel a feeling that she couldn't quite describe, or understand; she just knew that her heart was still beating fast-from the shock of the train's sudden jolt or something else, she wasn't sure.

After a few seconds, the train managed to start moving again, although the movements felt more strained, more disjointed now, with the sound of the tyres practically shrieking against the train tracks, the noise echoing through the carriage.

The train moved a few more feet forward in this way before it started to slow right down again, and Charlotte and Sidney barely had time to share a confused-looking glance before the train ground to a complete halt.

Chapter Text

"This is a passenger announcement," a voice announced over the train's speaker. "This train is experiencing technical difficulties and will be out of service until further notice. Rail staff will soon be arriving to help escort you safely to the nearest train station, so that this train can be repaired. Staff working on the platform will advise further on train times, should you wish to take the next train, although we must advise that there will likely be further delays to all steam trains, due to the technical difficulties. Staff can also advise on ticket refunds. We apologise for any inconvenience."

Charlotte felt an undeniable sense of apprehension, and disappointment, on hearing the announcement, wondering what all of this could mean for her planned journey to London today. It seemed unlikely that there would be another steam train arriving any time soon, as this train's breakdown was clearly going to cause further delays, and there wasn't really much more time left before Charlotte's connecting train to London was due-if she missed that train, then she could end up arriving very late in London, if at all.

There were a few murmurs and whispers from the other passengers-some sounded like murmurs of disapproval, others like whispers of confusion. Overall, Charlotte could tell that the passengers were not at all happy about this turn of events.

She was starting to think that taking the steam train hadn't been such a good idea after all. Perhaps she should have been more practical and paid a bit more money to travel by taxi to the main station, to take the train directly to London.

Charlotte was distracted from these more negative thoughts when the train doors opened and a team of rail staff arrived to help escort the passengers safely from the train to the nearest platform. She tried not to panic too much just yet about missing her connecting train, telling herself that she had more immediate issues to focus on.

Charlotte and Sidney exchanged another glance before Charlotte got up from her seat on the train to retrieve her suitcase, struggling a little bit to walk to the bag hold now that the aisle was starting to get busy with the other passengers who were also leaving the train.

Sidney must have seen that Charlotte was struggling, because he took a few steps closer to her, moving down the train's aisle with a lot more ease and grace than Charlotte had just done.

"I can help you with your bags, if you'd like?" Sidney offered, speaking in a low voice, as though the two of them were having a private conversation, and not surrounded by several disgruntled passengers.

Charlotte nodded, secretly grateful for the help-she knew that she would have a bit of a walk ahead of her, and her bags would likely start to get heavy soon, if she was carrying them on her own.

Besides, Sidney didn't seem to have many belongings of his own to carry-he was simply carrying a backpack on his shoulders.

Charlotte remembered that Sidney lived in London and probably didn't have to take much luggage back to the city with him, as most of his belongings were already there.

The team of rail staff who had been sent to help evacuate the train guided all the passengers through the train's doors and down a few steps that had been placed outside the doors. Then the passengers were led away from the train and the train tracks, towards a narrow path that ran alongside the tracks and led in the direction of the nearest train station.

Charlotte noticed the frown on Sidney's face as he walked alongside her, creating more distance between Charlotte and the train track, his stance almost protective. He kept taking his phone out of his pocket to check it with more confused-looking frowns. It seemed he was just as surprised as Charlotte was about the train breaking down. He also seemed distracted, like his mind was elsewhere. Charlotte wondered if he had somewhere else he needed to be today, too, and was worried he would be late. Or, perhaps like Charlotte, he was concerned about missing a connecting train to London.

Charlotte tried checking her own phone, but she struggled to get a signal.

"Are you all right?" Sidney suddenly asked her, surprising Charlotte out of her thoughts. "I do hope you weren't injured, when the train ground to a sudden halt. I know it was a bit of a shock-"

"I'm fine," Charlotte insisted, straightening herself up and squaring her shoulders, trying to look braver than she actually was, and not wanting to seem like she was overly delicate, or unused to sudden shocks and surprises, unlike Sidney, who apparently wasn't fazed by stressful circumstances. Charlotte was a bit surprised that Sidney had even asked her if she was okay in the first place. He was still a relative stranger to Charlotte after all, in spite of something of a shared connection between them through Lady Denham. And Charlotte had just been rolling her eyes at him during his phone conversation, and she hadn't exactly been friendly with him up to now. "I was just a bit shocked, that's all," she added.

Sidney nodded, apparently satisfied with Charlotte's answer, although he still seemed to watch her with concern in his eyes as they continued to walk down the path. There was still a protectiveness in Sidney's body language that convinced Charlotte that protecting others played a part in what he did for a living.

Along the way, Charlotte could see several signposts pointing the way to a nearby woodland holiday resort. It seemed to be the same holiday resort that Charlotte had seen pictures of online when she'd been making her hotel reservations.

It wasn't long before Charlotte, Sidney and the other passengers arrived at the nearest steam train station platform. It seemed that the steam train had been closer to its next station than Charlotte had thought, because the walk there had only taken a few minutes.

After she'd walked up the steps to the platform, and listened to another announcement, this one declaring that it would be at least half an hour until the next steam train arrived, Charlotte finally managed to get a bit of Internet signal to double check the train schedule for the connecting trains to London. At this point, she was prepared to pay extra to take a taxi to the main station, if it would mean getting the train to London on time.

To her dismay however, she could see from the page she was looking at that all the trains scheduled to travel to London over the next few hours from the surrounding area were experiencing delays and cancellations due to other technical faults on the main railway lines.

Charlotte scrolled frantically through the list of train times, looking for trains later and later in the day, only to see the word 'cancelled' written over and over...

Even if she did manage to get a taxi to the nearest train station, it was likely that she would be waiting there for several hours anyway until the trains were working again, and, even if a train did show up before the end of the day, she would arrive in London very late, and she would then still have to travel to her hotel when she arrived in the city.

Charlotte sighed and shook her head in disbelief as she thought about how unlikely it would have seemed to her only a few hours ago that the steam train would have broken down at the same time as all the other trains in the surrounding area were cancelled. It all seemed like such bad luck! What were the chances, of all of this happening on the same day she had chosen to travel to London? It almost felt as though Charlotte's plans to travel to London to reunite with Charles were cursed.

The feelings of disbelief and irritation were soon replaced by a mild panic as Charlotte contemplated what she was going to do next...

She could just return home and wait it out until tomorrow, in the hope that the trains would be running as normal again in the morning, but something about the idea of doing that felt suspiciously like giving up and admitting defeat. Perhaps it would be too easy, for her to be talked out of cancelling her trip altogether, if she returned to Willingden now.

Besides, Charlotte was aware that even if she did choose to return to Willingden, she would still have to pay for transport to get back home, one way or the other, as well as paying again for public transport in the morning, or taxi fees. Not to mention that she would likely lose the money for her first night in London that she had paid for the hotel room there.

Charlotte looked beyond the train platform and noticed another wishing well in the distance, just on the edge of the woodland. She thought about walking up to it and making another wish. What would she wish for right now, in this moment, apart from an end to all the problems with the trains? Perhaps for somewhere to take shelter, while she bided her time and waited to see if her journey to London could continue in the morning, so she would not have to return home tonight and take steps backwards instead of forwards...

Sidney, who had been distracted on the platform with scrolling through his phone with an irritated-looking frown on his face before making a brief phone call, now seemed to be looking at Charlotte with what looked like another expression of concern.

"Is everything all right?" he asked her, as he took a few steps closer to her. "I know this situation is far from ideal, with the train cancellations..." Apparently, Sidney already knew about the trains to London being cancelled, after checking his own phone.

Maybe it was because Sidney actually looked concerned; maybe it was because he had seemed so protective of her when the train's first jolt had derailed Charlotte's plans; or maybe it was because Charlotte was otherwise surrounded by strangers, and therefore didn't really have anyone else to vent her frustrations to in the moment...whatever the reason, Charlotte found herself telling Sidney about how disappointed she was that the trains to London had been cancelled for the foreseeable future, and how she had limited options as to what to do next as a result, apart from returning home and spending even more money to do so before having to start her journey all over again tomorrow, when she had already got this far, and now she would likely have to go back, spending even more money to travel in the morning, in the hope that tomorrow's trains wouldn't also be cancelled...or her other option was to go and wait on the platform of the main train station, potentially for hours on end. With another sigh, she told Sidney about how she was effectively stranded on this platform until she made a decision about what she was going to do next.

"I can't help feeling like I didn't properly think any of this through," said Charlotte with a sigh. "Yesterday, I felt like the universe was aligned, guiding me to London, but today, I feel like fate is conspiring against me, preventing me from arriving at my destination. Perhaps I should just give up..."

Sidney looked deep in thought for a few moments.

"This may seem like a bizarre suggestion," he said, after a brief silence, sounding like he had been contemplating whether he should say anything at all, "and feel free to disregard it, or tell me if you think I am stepping out of line...but two of my siblings own the woodland holiday resort, just a short walk from this station." He nodded his head in the direction of the nearby forest, where a few wooden cabins were visible in the near distance.

Charlotte could also see that several families and couples were already walking along a little footpath with arrows pointing in the direction of the holiday resort, trailing their suitcases behind them.

"I had promised my brother and sister that I would visit them on my way to London today," Sidney continued. "That's why I was taking the steam train in this direction...but now it looks like I will be staying there overnight, what with the trains being delayed. I am sure they would be happy to offer you a cabin to stay in for the night," he explained, "free of charge, or course. That is, if you would prefer to remain here, closer to the main station, rather than returning to Willingden tonight, and continue your journey to London in the morning..."

"Oh, I couldn't possibly," Charlotte protested, feeling a bit embarrassed at the idea of staying the night for free at a place where guests usually had to pay, and book in advance.

She felt a little surprised, that Sidney's siblings owned the holiday resort that Charlotte had been looking at online only last night. She sensed that this would be one of many strange coincidences on her journey to London.

"The resort is far from full this week," countered Sidney, "and Mondays are always among some of the quieter days. I'm sure Arthur and Diana would be grateful for an extra guest-they like to have plenty of people around them to talk to," he added, almost with a hint of both amusement and exasperation in his voice. "Besides, I am still somewhat involved in the running of the resort, and Arthur and Diana are usually happy to accommodate friends, colleagues and acquaintances of mine."

"But it's all so last-minute," said Charlotte, "I wouldn't want to impose-"

"I'm sure that Arthur and Diana would understand, given the circumstances," said Sidney. "I will offer them assistance at the holiday resort over the summer in return...Consider it an attempt on my part to make amends," he added, sounding a little hesitant now, "after I ruined your evening at the ball."

Charlotte felt an uncomfortable tug of guilt, at having the accusing words she had said to Sidney at the ball quoted back to her by the man himself, but she tried to push this more negative feeling to one side, as she had a more pressing dilemma to focus on right now.

She asked Sidney for a few minutes to think about his offer, and Sidney nodded in agreement, giving Charlotte some space on the platform to decide what she was going to do.

She used what little signal she had on her phone to look up more information about the woodland resort, confirming that it was indeed a legitimate and genuine place to stay. The posters and information leaflets about the resort that were displayed at the train station also confirmed this.

Charlotte also spoke to a few of the people at the train station with bags and suitcases who she overheard talking about heading to the holiday resort. They all highly recommended it.

Next, Charlotte made a phone call to the hotel where she had booked to stay in London, explaining the situation and asking if there was any possibility that the charge for her first night could be waived, given the circumstances, or if she could stay for another night at another time instead. Luckily, Tom, the hotel owner, was kind and understanding, even generously offering Charlotte an extra night at the hotel on Friday night at no extra cost in replacement for the night she would likely miss tonight, insisting that the hotel would not be full at the weekend, and Charlotte felt better knowing that she could stay for another night in London, and potentially spend all day Saturday there, too, if she stayed Friday night. At least she wouldn't be losing out too much, if she could not get to London today.

In the end, Charlotte decided that she had nothing to lose by staying one night at the holiday resort. As long as she remained sensible and cautious and let a few people who were close to her know of her plans and her location, then the idea of staying overnight at Sidney's siblings' holiday resort seemed a better option than paying more money to return to Willingden, only to have to start the journey all over again tomorrow, or potentially being talked out of going to London at all by her family.

Instead, she had the option of staying somewhere along the way, as well as potentially resolving any lingering animosity between her and Sidney after their tense discussion at the ball, with Sidney seeing this gesture as a way of repaying Charlotte for 'ruining her evening'. Even if he did not help her any further in London, perhaps the score would be settled in a way between them now, and they could move on from any leftover tension from the ball, if Charlotte accepted this favour from Sidney.

Perhaps pausing her journey for one night would not exactly be taking a step forward, but more importantly, it would not mean taking a step back, either.

Besides, Charlotte couldn't help but wonder if the fact that she had come across the same holiday resort online almost by accident only yesterday was yet another deliberate twist of fate, with the universe intentionally trying to point her in this direction.

Having made her decision, Charlotte walked back over to Sidney, thanking him and letting him know that she wanted to take him up on his offer to stay for one night at his siblings' holiday resort.

Sidney simply nodded, and while he sent a few messages to his siblings to confirm, Charlotte sent a message to her sister, letting her know what her new plans were, and sharing the holiday resort's address with her, so Alison would know where to find her, just in case of emergency.

She also sent a similar message to her parents. She knew that they probably wouldn't exactly be approving of her plans, but Charlotte was prepared to risk a few lectures from them in order to potentially be able to continue her journey relatively smoothly after a few set backs.

Just before they left the station, Sidney offered to help carry Charlotte's bags again. At first, Charlotte went to refuse, starting to say that she was perfectly capable of carrying her own bags, as Sidney was already doing her a favour, and she did not want to become too reliant on him for help on this journey, but when she saw the rather long path ahead of her that she would have to walk, and she thought about how heavy the bags would likely become the longer she carried them for, Charlotte quickly changed her mind.

A few minutes later, Sidney led the way down the winding path that would take them towards his siblings' woodland resort, with several tourists also walking the same path, carrying bags and wheeling suitcases behind them. Some of them were talking about the steam train's unlikely breakdown, with most of them sharing that they were genuinely puzzled about what had gone wrong, as the local steam train service was apparently usually fairly reliable.

"I wanted to thank you again for offering me a place to stay for the night," Charlotte told Sidney when she caught up with him on the pathway, after getting distracted for a few minutes talking to some of the other guests who were also on their way to the woodland resort. Sidney had easily managed to walk ahead, despite carrying the heaviest of Charlotte's bags.

"It was the least I could do," said Sidney, as though it were nothing, his expression serious, his tone formal, polite...distant, almost, as though he made grand gestures like this every day, and there were a million other things on his mind anyway, in the same way he had seemed distant and distracted at the ball.

Charlotte sensed that they were not going to have any deep and meaningful conversations on this walk.

They walked on in silence for a few more minutes, but it wasn't long before they arrived at the entrance to the woodland resort, which was marked by a large wooden arch surrounded by tall trees.

A few little wooden cabins could be seen among the trees in the near distance, as well as a lake further in the distance. There were also several groups of guests sharing lively conversations as they sat around wooden tables.

"Sidney! Sidney!"

Charlotte was distracted from taking in her surroundings by the sight and sound of a man and a woman who had to be Sidney's siblings enthusiastically calling out Sidney's name before they started to run towards him.

The man started to run even faster before he let out a gasp as he got closer to Sidney and Charlotte and had to pause to catch his breath, looking a little red-faced as he put his hand on his chest.

"Arthur! Do be careful!" Charlotte heard the woman tell the man as she caught up with him. Her cheeks were a little pink with exertion, and there were a few strands of hair coming out of what had probably been a neat bun at the start of the day. "It can't be good for your health, running everywhere! You remember what the doctor said to you, during your last appointment, about unnecessary stress? Sidney!" she added, as though suddenly remembering that he was there. "It's been far too long since we last saw you. I do hope they're not working you too hard at the ca-"

"Charlotte," Sidney said quickly, with the air of someone who was deliberately interrupting a conversation before personal information was revealed-information that he clearly did not want to be revealed in front of Charlotte, for some reason-"may I introduce my brother and sister, Arthur and Diana Parker. Diana, Arthur, this is Charlotte Heywood-"

"It's lovely to meet you!" said Arthur, Sidney's brother, with a friendly smile as he turned to face Charlotte, having now caught his breath, interrupting Sidney before he could finish his sentence.

"Yes, it is!" agreed Diana, Sidney's sister. "We were delighted when Sidney got in touch about his change of plans today. It's been so long since Sidney brought a woman here to stay-"

"Yes, well, Charlotte and I are...acquaintances, and...work colleagues, of sorts," Sidney cut in quickly, sounding a bit embarrassed as Charlotte tried not to blush at their assumptions. "Temporary work colleagues," he added. "It's possible we may be working together in London over the next few days..."

Charlotte was sure that Arthur and Diana looked almost...disappointed for a few moments, but then they seemed to quickly disguise it.

"Oh, do you work in security, too?" Diana asked Charlotte as a look of concern suddenly crossed her face. "Such a dangerous job! So many risks! We're always trying to convince Sidney to return to hotel work-"

"Perhaps now would be a good time to show Charlotte to her cabin?" Sidney suggested, raising his eyebrow at Diana and Arthur in what looked like a pointed gesture. Yet again, it seemed like Sidney was reluctant to discuss the topic of what he did for a living. "I'm sure she'd appreciate a place to leave her luggage."

"Yes, yes, of course," said Arthur, as he and Diana took Charlotte's bags from Sidney and offered to show Charlotte to the cabin where they had arranged for Charlotte to stay the night.

It seemed that Sidney already knew the way to the cabin where he would be staying, no doubt having visited the holiday resort many times before. He started to head there on his own, telling Charlotte that he would see her at dinner.

As she started walking with Diana and Arthur, Charlotte quickly realised that she had no need to worry about any potential awkward silences during the walk to the cabin, as Sidney's siblings talked animatedly the entire time, mostly about various health concerns that they apparently had, although they did ask Charlotte about her work, too, and they seemed really interested in the books that Charlotte sold at her bookshop, the health books in particular. They also talked about the holiday resort, including information about mealtimes, and where everything was located.

As they walked, Charlotte noticed a restaurant, a coffee shop, and a little shop selling various food items and gifts as they passed.

Charlotte thanked Arthur and Diana for allowing her to stay the night, offering to pay for her stay, just in case they were not as comfortable as Sidney was saying they were about Charlotte staying for free, and then offering to at least pay towards some of the cost when they refused her first offer, but they wouldn't hear of it, insisting that the resort wasn't busy this week, and that they were happy to have her there.

"Any friend of Sidney's is a friend of ours!" Arthur declared, while Diana nodded in agreement.

When they arrived at Charlotte's cabin, Arthur and Diana handed her the key, before giving her some time to herself to unpack as they headed off to assist other guests.

Charlotte's little cabin really was beautiful, with its rustic interior, dark wooden floor, colourful rugs, and a large double bed with soft pillows and a patchwork quilt. The large window by the bed was open slightly, and the long curtains were blowing gently in the breeze.

Charlotte couldn't help sighing to herself as she thought about how lovely it would be for couples, to share a cabin like this; for two people in love to experience the holiday resort together.

She blinked a few times and shook her head, as though to clear it of those thoughts. She wondered where those thoughts, and the strange feeling of loneliness that had suddenly washed over her, were coming from in the first place, as she hadn't felt like this until recently. Perhaps it was just her new surroundings, she decided-she had not been on holiday, or even left Willingden, in quite a long time. Not to mention the stress of the day so far, with the broken-down train, and also the way that this detour into the forest still felt a bit surreal, like some sort of strange dream, and then there was the constant thought in the back of her mind of the challenges ahead that she knew she would be facing in trying to find Charles in London. Her own happy ending still seemed far out of reach.

Charlotte explored the cabin further, trying to distract herself, and taking a few photos to send to Alison along the way. There was a little bathroom behind wooden doors, as well as a comfortable-looking couch not too far from the bed, with plenty of little cushions piled on top of it, and even a kitchenette in the cabin's main room, which had already been supplied with enough food for a light meal, and a few snacks.

As she looked at her phone, she noticed that she had already received several texts from her parents, all of their messages advising caution, and letting Charlotte know that she could return home at any time, if her plans did not work out. Charlotte quickly sent a reply, letting her parents know that she was fine, and that she would be in touch if she needed anything.

After taking in the beautiful view of the forest from the cabin's main windows for a few minutes, Charlotte unpacked a few of her belongings-just enough for one night, as she wanted to be ready to leave at a moment's notice in the morning, to catch the next train to London.

Charlotte then made herself a light lunch, even though she wasn't feeling particularly hungry, what with her mind still racing after everything that had already happened today, and then she decided to go for a walk, eager for some fresh air, and curious to learn more about the place where she would be staying overnight.

She took some deep, cleansing breaths as she walked through the forest, among the tall trees. She felt more grounded, being in nature, in a place where she did not have to deal with the day to day responsibilities of village life and running a small business. She was looking forward to arriving in London and experiencing life in the city for a few days, but Charlotte was also starting to feel grateful for this brief pause in her journey. Perhaps this visit to the forest would end up becoming an important part of her journey, too.

The forest felt strangely familiar to Charlotte, more so with each step she took among the trees, in a way that went beyond a vague recollection of visiting the surrounding area during her childhood-it felt more like a deep-rooted familiarity of a place she knew almost by memory and had somehow visited many times before. It was a sense of familiarity that she couldn't quite explain, as she could not recall visiting this forest in recent years; she wasn't even certain that she had ever been to this part of the forest. Whatever it was, Charlotte felt at home here.

As she walked, Charlotte noticed that there was a definite fairytale theme to the woodland resort-there were various ornaments on the ground in the shape of princes and princesses, and even wooden ornaments in the shape of toadstools, as well as a little silver ornament that looked just like Cinderella's carriage, hidden behind one of the trees. There were see-through, heart-shaped ornaments handing from ribbons tied to tree branches, with silhouettes inside the hearts shaped like pixies and fairies. The ornaments in the trees seemed to catch the sun's rays perfectly, reflecting rainbow-coloured lights around the forest and between the trees.

Charlotte felt like the fairytale theme of the surrounding forest was some sort of confirmation to her from the universe, that the delay to her journey had been fated, in a way, and that she was in exactly the right place at this stage of her journey. Perhaps events were unfolding as they should, in perfect timing, and she would soon be reunited with her prince...

Charlotte decided to follow the lights reflecting from the hanging ornaments, and she ended up approaching a larger gap in the trees on the edge of the forest, where the white sands of a beautiful beach were visible in the distance.

It only took a few seconds for Charlotte to recognise the beach as one she had visited several times with her family during childhood holidays.

However, Charlotte's eyes were more drawn to the silhouette of the man who was currently leaning against one of the trees, looking at the same beach in the distance. He was standing with his back to Charlotte, but still Charlotte recognised the man as Sidney Parker.

Instantly, Charlotte was hit by a fresh wave of deja-vu, this one even stronger than the one she had felt only a few minutes ago. What was it about this scene that felt so familiar to her?

Despite her confusion about this feeling, she couldn't help being distracted by the sight of Sidney Parker, dressed more casually than he had been during the train journey, but still looking very handsome all the same, with his hair slightly windswept and his simple but still stylish light-blue T-shirt a perfect contrast to the white sandy beach in the distance.

Charlotte told herself that the reason why she was so fascinated staring at Sidney was because she was not used to seeing him like this-casually dressed and relaxed and unguarded, in his unawareness that he was being observed. She was used to seeing him in more formal attire-fancy suits or sunglasses and smart black shirts, or in expensive-looking formal wear at the recent ball. She felt like there was a whole other side to Sidney Parker that she did not yet know, which intrigued her. Perhaps Charles was not the only one with a secret identity.

It was only when Charlotte took a step back, intending to move away quietly and leave Sidney to his private thoughts, but instead accidentally stepping on a twig, which promptly snapped in half, the sound seeming to echo all over this otherwise silent part of the forest (which only added to Charlotte's embarrassment), that Sidney became aware that he wasn't alone in this part of the forest.

His body seemed to tense for a moment as he glanced rapidly over his shoulder, yet again with the air of someone who was no stranger to having to leap into action at a moment's notice at any sign of a threat, but then he seemed to quickly relax when he noticed that it was Charlotte who was standing a few feet away from him. It was as though his expression softened a little on seeing her, but Charlotte told herself that she was only imagining this softness in his expression.

Charlotte looked at Sidney with an apologetic expression-she hadn't meant to interrupt his few moments of peace-but Sidney did not look annoyed by the interruption. Instead, he leaned back a little against the nearest tree and inclined his head a little, the gesture subtly letting Charlotte know that he didn't mind if she approached him, if she wanted to.

Charlotte walked closer to Sidney, pausing when she she was standing opposite him before leaning against one of the nearby trees.

"Sanditon beach," Charlotte observed as she followed Sidney's line of vision, while Sidney nodded in response, apparently familiar with the beach as well. "I have happy memories of several childhood summer holidays there," she added, as she recalled the warm afternoons spent playing games on the beach, the pastel-coloured houses of the surrounding area, the walks around town, and eating delicious food at the local restaurants and tea shops.

This comment drew an almost-smile from Sidney. "My siblings and I grew up in Sanditon," he said, his tone a little softer than usual. "I have many fond memories of my childhood there. I think one of the reasons why Diana and Arthur were so keen on managing this woodland resort, was so that they could remain close to home..."

"Did you not wish to remain close to Sanditon, too?" Charlotte asked, suddenly curious to know more about Sidney, even though she wondered if she was perhaps asking too personal a question, considering that she did not know Sidney very well.

Sidney however did not seem to be fazed by the question: "As much as I have fond memories of Sanditon," he said, "still I felt a call to adventure as time passed, and London in particular seemed to call to me. I initially helped Diana to set up her business here," Sidney elaborated, "but it wasn't long before I was spending most of my time in the city. Arthur and I also helped my older brother to set up a hotel in London-it provided the perfect opportunity to spend more time there while I was training to do...other work," he added, his tone seeming deliberately vague, which only heightened Charlotte's curiousity again about what Sidney did for a living; "but it wasn't long before Arthur started to miss home-life in the city really wasn't for him-and so he chose to move back here to help Diana run the woodland resort, and then my older brother and his wife fully took over the day to day responsibilities of running the London hotel, when my new employment started to take up most of my time. I still visit home whenever I can, and I remain involved in the running of both the hotel and the woodland resort, but I often do not have as much time to visit as I would like, as I am certain my siblings will allude to several times while we are here," he said with a roll of his eyes, although there was a fondness to his tone, too.

Charlotte smiled, trying to hide her surprise that Sidney had just told her so much about his life, after seeming to remain determinedly guarded ever since Charlotte had first encountered him in Willingden. She was certain that this was the most that they had ever spoken since Sidney had first started to visit Willingden. Perhaps he had simply wanted to tell her a little about his life from his own point of view, before Arthur and Diana, who seemed more talkative than he was, did it for him.

Sidney and Charlotte ended up walking through the forest which surrounded the holiday resort for a while together, with Sidney asking Charlotte about her past visits to Sanditon, while also telling her a bit about the early days of setting up the woodland resort, as well as sharing stories about some of the more interesting guests who had stayed there.

As they walked, Charlotte couldn't help noticing all over again that Sidney looked more relaxed, here in the forest. He was more open and unguarded than he typically was during his visits to Willingden, where he often looked tense and unapproachable and always seemed to be 'on duty', ready to be called into action at any moment...to do what, Charlotte wasn't sure. Here, he didn't seem to have the weight of the world on his shoulders. There seemed to have been some sort of change in him from the moment he stepped through the wooden archway into a familiar place, with people he knew well. Perhaps it was due to being in nature, in open space, or in a setting that was familiar to him, with people he was close to, namely his brother and sister...whatever it was, Charlotte was starting to realise that the man she had first met in Willingden was not all there was to Sidney Parker.

"I think even my grandmother was mildly impressed with her cabin here," Sidney told Charlotte with a rare, amused-looking smile, as he talked more about the guests who had previously stayed at the resort, "although she made it clear that her cabin did not live up to the usual standards of luxury that she's used to experiencing in Willingden..."

Again, Charlotte smiled, but it felt a bit strange hearing this story, now that she knew that Sidney's grandmother was Lady Denham.

She felt a bit embarrassed as she wondered if Sidney knew that Charlotte had been to visit Lady Denham before she left Willingden for London, asking her if she believed Sidney Parker to be trustworthy, although she knew deep down that Lady Denham would likely have kept such a conversation private, especially as she had discussed such a personal past memory with Charlotte during that same conversation.

Sidney must have picked up something in Charlotte's facial expression, because he paused to look at Charlotte, with something like concern in his own facial expression.

"I wasn't aware until recently that Lady Denham is your grandmother," Charlotte admitted.

Sidney however did not seem very surprised. That's understandable; she's a very private person," he said, and Charlotte didn't feel as embarrassed about not knowing this information. She wondered if Lady Denham's heartbreak had caused her to become more guarded and distant later in life. "And, as she frequently reminds me," Sidney added, with another fond-looking roll of his eyes, "I don't visit Willingden anywhere near as often enough for our family connection to be common knowledge among those who live there."

Charlotte was fast noticing a recurring pattern, in which Sidney Parker did not have as much time as he would like to spend with his family, and his family seemed to be all too aware of this, which was only adding to his stress.

She wondered again what he did for a living, beyond the vague explanation of him working in 'security', and why it was taking up so much of his time, but every time his job was brought up in conversation, Sidney seemed to become even more tense, as though it were a closely guarded secret, and so Charlotte didn't like to pry.

They walked on in silence for a little while longer, until Charlotte announced that she was going to head back to her cabin to get ready for dinner. She could tell that Sidney had gone for a walk in the forest in the first place to seek a little solitude and time for himself, in the middle of what had been an otherwise busy and hectic day, and she wanted him to have some of that time before dinner, and so she excused herself.

Charlotte managed to take a quick nap when she returned to her cabin, before she showered and got ready for the evening, changing into clothes that were more formal than the casual jeans and jumper she had worn during the day, but were still warm and comfortable, as Sidney had advised her while they were walking that it could get a bit cold, eating outdoors in the middle of the forest.

Dinner was a lively event. The woodland resort's guests sat at long, wooden tables that had been set up in a space among the trees, and a variety of delicious foods and drinks were served. The food tasted fresh, home-cooked, and it was clear that a lot of work had gone into its preparation.

The tables and the surrounding trees had been beautifully decorated with multi-coloured fairy lights, lanterns and artificial candles that apparently warded off insects.

There were even more fairytale-themed ornaments on the tables-knights and unicorns and queens and kings. Even the food seemed to match the theme, with Arthur and Diana's catering team having placed delicately decorated Alice in Wonderland themed cupcakes on the tables.

The twinkling lights and pretty decorations made the woodland evening meal seem even more fairytale-like. Charlotte felt almost as though she were a character in a fantasy novel, eating a meal in a magical woodland setting.

Charlotte took a picture of the cupcakes, and a few of the other table decorations, to send to her sister, but she was mostly too engaged in the conversations around her to have the time to keep pausing to take pictures.

It looked like the resort really was not fully booked, as there were several empty chairs and spaces at the long, wooden tables, but that did not mean there were was a lack of atmosphere at the resort, or energy among the guests, as families and couples shared enthusiastic conversations, while Arthur and Diana walked among the tables, helping to serve food and making the time to speak to each and every guest, asking them how their stay was going so far, before finally taking a seat to eat their own meals after the main course had been served, and they had talked to all the guests.

Sidney sat next to Charlotte at her table, with Arthur and Diana eventually sitting opposite them. Sidney asked Charlotte if she was comfortable in her cabin, and if she was enjoying her time at the woodland resort, as well as mentioning that he had checked tomorrow's train times, and, up to now, the trains were predicted to be running on time, but they didn't have much time to talk on a one-to-one basis after that, as Charlotte got into conversation with a family with two young children who were sitting to her other side, who enthusiastically told Charlotte about the happy day they had spent hiking in the woods, taking photos of all the fairytale-themed ornaments before swimming in the lake, while Sidney got into conversation with the couple sitting next to him who were apparently regular visitors to the resort and recognised Sidney from the time when he used to work there, helping his brother and sister.

Diana and Arthur were also very talkative, telling Charlotte about their initial motivation to set up the woodland resort: "We had so many health problems, you see," Diana explained to Charlotte, her expression almost grave. "And yet, our doctor couldn't find anything tangible to make a diagnosis, or offer any treatment. In the end, he suggested that perhaps more fresh air would help. And then the opportunity to purchase this resort came up, where I could be surrounded by nature and walk in the fresh air every day. I was delighted when Arthur decided to join me on a permanent basis! Living in London long-term must be so detrimental to one's health! Not to mention one's stress levels!" she added with a pointed look at Sidney, who pointedly ignored her comment in return.

As dessert was served, Charlotte overheard Diana bossily asking Sidney several times 'when he was going to settle down', and 'focus on a relationship rather than his work', but Sidney managed to kindly but firmly deflect her questions each time.

After dessert was finished, Arthur led the guests in a sing-along as the night sky darkened and the stars started to shine more brightly. Most guests joined in enthusiastically, their faces lit up by the reflections from the lanterns and fairy lights, with a general air of merriment about them, although Sidney did make a point of rolling his eyes a few times at Arthur's unbridled enthusiasm, which was rather amusing to Charlotte.

Charlotte however did not share Sidney's less than pleased reaction. As she smiled at all the singing and the happy atmosphere all around her, she suddenly realised that she felt more content than she had felt in a long time. As much as she was already missing the people in her village, it was a relief, almost, to be out in nature, away from her day to day responsibilities and surrounded by people who were not familiar with life in the village, and had experienced a different way of life. She wondered if she maybe needed to get away from Willingden more often.

And, she wasn't sure if it was just a trick of the light, but she couldn't help thinking about how handsome Sidney Parker looked whenever his face was lit up by the candle light.

After the plates had been cleared, Arthur suggested toasting marshmallows around the nearby campfire for all the guests who wanted to participate.

Charlotte readily agreed, and Sidney also agreed when it became clear that his siblings wanted to spend more time with him this evening.

It was quieter around the campfire. Not only was it in a more secluded area of the forest, with more open space around it, but several of the guests, those with children especially, had already chosen to return to their cabins for the evening, meaning that there were even less people around the campfire than there had been at the dinner tables.

Charlotte smiled in amusement when Arthur insisted on toasting bread on the campfire instead of a marshmallow. "Nothing beats hot buttered toast!" Arthur told Charlotte with a smile as he enthusiastically placed another piece of bread on a stick.

Charlotte had a lot of fun toasting marshmallows on the campfire, as well as continuing her conversations with some of the guests who she had been talking to at diner. A couple of the guests lived in the London, and they advised Charlotte on places to visit in the city. Charlotte was already starting to wish that she could spend more time in London, so she could visit all the places that had been recommended to her.

After about half an hour, the remaining guests headed back to their cabins, leaving Charlotte, Sidney, Diana and Arthur by the campfire, with Arthur and Diana sitting opposite Charlotte and Sidney.

"How is our cousin?" Diana asked Sidney, and Charlotte could already tell from her concerned expression that she was referring to Esther. "She has been through such a difficult time..."

"She is doing as well as can be expected, under the circumstances," said Sidney, looking slightly uncomfortable to be having this conversation with Charlotte there.

It seemed that Diana assumed Charlotte and Sidney to be closer than they actually were, and was therefore more comfortable than Sidney was, talking about their family members in front of her.

"I do hope Edward isn't still troubling her?" Diana asked, apparently not ready to let the topic drop yet.

Charlotte noticed that Sidney visibly tensed at the mention of Edward's name, and she couldn't help wondering if there was more to Sidney's feud with Edward than just his history with Esther.

After less than a couple of seconds however, Sidney seemed to quickly recover himself, hiding his look of distaste so that his expression was more neutral. Charlotte wondered if hiding and guarding his emotions were a part of Sidney's mysterious job in security, as he seemed to be something of an expert at it.

"He still tries to trouble her, on occasion," Sidney responded with a frown, "but she has her family members, and good friends, to look out for her."

"We were hoping that Edward's new line of work, and his rumoured move to London, might have helped him to change for the better?" said Arthur, his expression tentative.

"Unfortunately, it seems that his recent foray into charity work has done little to improve his character," Sidney responded with a sigh.

After that, he quickly changed the subject.

Not long after that, Arthur and Diana moved away from the campfire to help their team of staff to set up for breakfast in the morning, leaving Charlotte and Sidney alone by the campfire.

"Did you discover anymore clues to help with your search in London?" Sidney asked Charlotte after a few moments of silence.

"Not really," Charlotte admitted with a sigh. "I found a receipt in Charles's jacket that confirmed what he told me, about visiting The Fable in London, but there was not much else to be found, and I would like to return his jacket to him, at least, as he must be looking for it."

"Perhaps sharing a picture of the jacket on social media might help, with a post about how you are looking for its owner?" Sidney suggested, the reluctant look on his face suggesting that he was advising this against his better judgement.

Of course...Charlotte thought. She couldn't believe that she hadn't thought of doing something like that on social media already. Her thoughts had clearly been too preoccupied by her plans to travel to London.

"Besides," Sidney added, "you at least have enough clues to go on for now, in terms of the places you could visit to try to find him, and perhaps things will become clearer when you arrive in London..."

Charlotte studied Sidney closely, taking in what little of his facial expression the firelight and the moonlight allowed her to see.

"Why are you helping me?" Charlotte asked him, voicing a burning question that had been on her mind since the night of the ball, when Sidney had first offered his assistance; the same question that had been playing on her mind for most of the day, since Sidney had first invited her to stay at the woodland resort...

She thought about the night of the ball, when Sidney had first offered his assistance in London.

She thought about how protective Sidney had been today, since that first jolt on the steam train, ensuring that she got to the platform safely, and offering her free accommodation for the night at his siblings' holiday resort.

She thought about how Sidney had helped to interpret the possible clues that could lead to discovering Charles's identity, as well as suggesting that Charlotte should share a social media post about Charles's jacket to have a better chance of finding him, and advising Charlotte about tomorrow's trains to London.

Already, it was a lot, especially considering that Charlotte and Sidney barely knew each other.

"I know you may think I'm naïve..." Charlotte started to add.

"I don't think that," Sidney said quickly in response, but Charlotte continued on anyway, unconvinced by his words...

"...but I'm not that naïve. I know I have grown up in a small village, where people are often kind and generous and helpful, but I am well aware that out there in 'the real world', people rarely do things entirely out of the good of their hearts, without ulterior motives."

Sidney seemed to observe Charlotte closely in return before he spoke, as though trying to decide how much he should tell her...

"I'm sure you might have heard before now that I am not particularly well-liked among the people who frequently attend the balls at my grandmother's manor house," he said in a low voice as he stared in the direction of the campfire, as though seeking answers among the embers. "Especially those who have moved to London to seek their fortune..."

Charlotte nodded in acknowledgement as she too focused on the fire's embers-to give herself something to look at, more than anything. She couldn't deny that she had heard Sidney himself voice such an idea, about the dislike others had for him.

"Well," Sidney continued, sounding a bit uncomfortable now, "perhaps some of those opinions are simply based on meaningless gossip and petty jealousies, but I would be lying if I said that was all there was to it..."

Feeling curious now, Charlotte looked right at Sidney again. She had at times found him to be a bit cold and distant and miserable, but she had never considered him to be a particularly bad person, although admittedly she did not know him very well. She wondered what he had done to inspire such dislike from others.

"I have worked very hard to achieve everything that I have achieved in my professional life," Sidney continued, looking like he was again contemplating how much he should say in this moment, "but I have also been very fortunate; there were many times when the universe seemed to align, and I was in the right place at the right time, with the right connections. My line of work has also afforded me many privileges and opportunities. There are those who would say I do not deserve what I have. You have no idea how many others have accused me of 'ruining their evenings', or indeed their day, week, event, party, whatever it may be..." he said, looking genuinely remorseful. It seemed that Charlotte's comments at the ball really had struck a nerve with him, or reminded him of past unpleasant events that he had been accused of ruining. "I have apparently ruined several evenings in Willingden for my grandmother alone in recent years," he said with a sigh, "not to mention getting into a fight with Edward in the village during the birthday celebrations for my mother's best friend's daughter, only a few years ago, which embarrassed both her and my grandmother. And it would take too much time to recall my previous disputes in London...I am far from being like the fairytale characters who you admire..."

He paused for a few moments, and Charlotte continued to stare at him, trying to work him out, before she turned her gaze to the campfire again. It seemed she was right in her theory that there was more to Sidney's feud with Edward than she had first thought, given that the two men had previously fought, a few years before the night of the ball.

"You see," Sidney added, "I have not always shown the grace and humility that the main characters in your beloved fairytales usually show on their way to a happy ending..."

Charlotte glanced at Sidney, trying to work out if he was mocking her for her love of fairytales, but his expression was serious, contemplative.

"Perhaps most importantly of all, I have not always shown kindness, especially not in more recent times, after a few...unfortunate events," he added, his expression guarded again. "Our discussion outside the manor house after the events of the ball was a reminder of all of that," he said. "Your words were a reminder of the poor behaviour and lack of gratitude that others have already accused me of; something that had already been a nagging thought at the back of my mind before the night of the ball. That night, I thought that the universe was perhaps sending me a sign that I needed to change; that I should be striving to show more kindness, and be more deserving of all that I have been given, and I felt very strongly that I should try to make amends for any distress I caused you that evening," he said. "After all, who am I to stand in the way of 'true love'?"

There might have been a hint of sarcasm in his voice with that last remark, but there was a sincerity there, too.

"I would do anything for those I care about," Sidney clarified, "and I would risk my own life to defend them in a heartbeat...I have done just that, on several occasions. But it is the day to day acts of kindness that I feel I must work on..."

"So your offer of help is your way of trying to reset the balance; right a wrong; prove that you can be morally worthy of all that you have achieved, while avoiding uncomfortable feelings of guilt about all that you have as you start to pay off some of your moral 'debts'?" Charlotte asked him.

"Yes, something like that," Sidney replied, looking like he was torn between exasperation and amusement.

Charlotte looked at Sidney again from where he was sitting next to her by the campfire, only part of his face lit up by the dying flames, the rest of him seemingly in the shadows due to the darkness of the forest.

Since the night of the ball, Charlotte had been determined to solve the mystery of Charles's identity, but now, she couldn't help feeling like Sidney Parker was perhaps another mystery that she needed to solve.

Chapter Text

When Charlotte woke up the next morning, she was still feeling a little drowsy and disorientated, and she therefore couldn't quite remember where she was in those few waking moments between dreams and reality. She was simply aware of feeling relaxed and cozy and well-rested for perhaps the first time in a long time.

The sun's rays also felt warm and welcoming on her face as she wrapped the bed covers even more snugly around herself, reluctant to wake up just yet, when she was feeling so comfortable.

She lay in bed for a few minutes with her eyes closed, as her mind and body gradually woke up and she remembered exactly where she was and why she had come to be here in the first place. The events of yesterday still felt rather surreal.

Charlotte had fallen asleep fairly quickly last night after returning to her cabin in the woods, only taking a short time to get ready for bed before reading a few pages of her book of fairytales that she had brought with her. As she'd read her book however, she'd felt her eyelids getting heavy, and it hadn't been long before she'd drifted off to sleep.

Now, Charlotte sat up in bed, trying to gather her thoughts as she recalled the significant events of the day before.

Her mind drifted to the conversation that she had shared with Sidney Parker at the campfire last night, and the reasons he had given her for offering to help her in London. She still wasn't entirely sure what to think about the explanation he had given her, or whether or not she believed that he was being too harsh on his character in his claim that he did not see himself as having been a particularly kind person recently, as Charlotte suspected that those closest to him might say otherwise, but deep down, Charlotte already knew that she would feel more comfortable about working with Sidney in London, if that was what she chose to do, based on what he had told her. If he had flaws, then at least he had been honest about them, unlike many people in the world, and he did not seem to have ulterior motives for offering to help Charlotte in her search for Charles.

In a way, they both stood to benefit from working together in London, and Charlotte preferred this idea of them both being on equal footing. Sidney's knowledge of the city could potentially help Charlotte to reunite with the man of her dreams, and then Sidney could return to his mysterious job that clearly paid him well and afforded him many perks and privileges, having eased his guilt by then about not previously showing the traits that he believed made him worthy of such blessings, by showing acts of kindness to Charlotte, while also proving those who frequently gossiped about him wrong.

Meanwhile, Charlotte would not have to feel guilty about using Sidney for her own gain, and she would not be unpleasantly surprised at the end of her trip by any hidden costs that she had suspected (until recently) might be part of Sidney's offer of help. He had been clear with Charlotte yesterday that he was not expecting anything from her in return, in exchange for his help.

Charlotte checked the time on her phone and she realised that it was still only six in the morning. After a quick glance at the online train schedule confirmed that the trains were indeed running as normal again today, Charlotte considered going back to sleep for a little while, but she felt too wide awake now at the thought of travelling to London today to fall back to sleep. She also felt a pull towards nature; a desire to be outdoors in the fresh air; to feel the morning sunlight on her skin. The forest looked so beautiful from her cabin window, and she knew she didn't have much longer left at the woodland resort before she had to catch the train to London.

So, Charlotte got up and got dressed and she headed out of her cabin to go for a walk.

The forest was peaceful and tranquil in the morning, with the sound of birdsong keeping Charlotte company, and the light of the sun's rays reflecting off the glass ornaments, so that all the colours of the rainbow appeared again to Charlotte among the trees.

Charlotte found herself heading towards the lake, her body seeming to carry her there without much conscious thought about it on her part. Charlotte doubted that anyone would be there this early in the morning, and she wanted to get a good view of the lake before she left the woodland resort.

As Charlotte approached the water however, its surface seeming to shimmer under the early morning sunlight, it wasn't long before she realised that she wasn't in fact alone...

One second, she was staring at the still, dark blue surface of the lake as though mesmerised, and the next, she was gasping in surprise as Sidney Parker suddenly emerged from under the surface, apparently having been swimming underwater when Charlotte arrived at the lake, and Charlotte was mesmerised for a very different reason.

Still oblivious to Charlotte's presence, Sidney swam a few meters across the lake, everything about his movements conveying strength in his body, and perhaps a familiarity with swimming in cold water, before he stood up in the shallower part of the water, his toned torso and well-defined muscles on full display to Charlotte as he moved to get out of the lake.

Charlotte couldn't help staring as though in some sort of trance as droplets of water ran slowly down Sidney's torso as he got out of the lake, and it took her several seconds to fully come to her senses.

"Oh!" she suddenly gasped, rather loudly, her mind finally catching up to what she was currently witnessing.

Sidney caught her eye, apparently just realising that Charlotte was there. "Charlotte...good morning!" he said, looking momentarily surprised at seeing her there, and then torn between amusement and concern for Charlotte's current state of wellbeing. She knew her embarrassment must have been written all over her face.

Sidney, on the other hand, had the air of someone who was fully confident in his body and was not at all concerned about being looked out and admired when he was out in public. He had always come across to Charlotte as the sort of person who seemed almost bored by all the attention he got, and he definitely wasn't fazed at the moment at Charlotte seeing him so scantily clad.

Charlotte, on the other hand, was nowhere near as nonchalant. She felt a blush creep to her cheeks as she darted partially behind the nearest tree, instead of just averting her eyes, as she was suddenly so flustered that she couldn't think straight. She felt it might be very awkward for the two of them to be standing so close and staring directly at one another while Sidney was half naked.

"S-Sidney...good morning," Charlotte managed to say, wondering why her voice sounded so shaky. Sidney was suitably dressed in swimwear for a morning swim in a lake at a holiday resort, but Charlotte felt as awkward and as embarrassed as though she had stumbled upon him while he was naked. She couldn't really remember being so embarrassed around a man before. "I didn't expect to see you-I didn't expect to run into you this early," she quickly corrected herself.

She wasn't sure why she was so befuddled. She told herself that it was just due to the shock of seeing Sidney like this, when she was so used to seeing him so formally attired. The two of them hardly knew each other, after all.

Sidney said something about preferring to exercise early in the morning, but Charlotte barely heard him. She felt like there was a strange ringing in her ears.

"Yes, well, I'll just..." Charlotte trailed off as she gestured vaguely in the direction of the cabins in the distance.

As she started to walk away, taking rapid steps, Charlotte heard Sidney say something about seeing her later at breakfast. There was definitely amusement in his tone.

Charlotte felt more tense at breakfast than she had felt at dinner last night.

She couldn't get the image of Sidney Parker's dripping wet, toned torso out of her mind, and she couldn't help thinking about how handsome he had looked, emerging from the lake. She had had a vague thought in the back of her mind that Sidney was handsome from the day she had first noticed him in Willingden, but Charlotte was even more aware of his attractiveness now, after she had seen him shirtless, even though she tried desperately to clear her mind of these thoughts.

It didn't help that Sidney was currently wearing a white T-shirt that was accentuating his muscles, reminding Charlotte of what she had seen at the lake, which made her feel more awkward being around Sidney at breakfast, even as Sidney made polite conversation with her about catching the train to London, even offering to arrange a taxi for both of them to the station.

Perhaps fortunately for Charlotte, Arthur and Diana took up a lot of Sidney's attention at breakfast, as it was clear that they wanted to spend as much time as possible with their brother before he left. It was likely that they were unsure when they would next see Sidney, as he was so busy in London.

Despite her awkwardness, Charlotte couldn't deny that the breakfast was delicious, especially the cakes and pastries, and she felt a bit more relaxed by the time she had finished eating.

Towards the end of breakfast, Charlotte got into conversation with Arthur and Diana, with the two of them sharing more stories about the resort, and the memorable guests who had stayed there.

Again, Charlotte offered to make a financial contribution to her stay, but Diana and Arthur wouldn't hear of it. It seemed that they were simply glad that circumstances had allowed Sidney to spend a night at the holiday resort, and they insisted that they were happy to help Charlotte on her journey, and they told her that they had enjoyed meeting her and spending time with her.

Charlotte was so focused on her conversation with Diana and Arthur that it took her a little while to realise that she was starting to run late for the train. The next half hour therefore passed in something of a blur as she rushed to collect her cases from her cabin and she prepared to leave.

Arthur and Diana came to see Charlotte and Sidney off at the resort's main gates.

Charlotte felt a sense of sadness as she said her goodbyes to Sidney's brother and sister. She might have only stayed at the woodland resort for one night, but she had enjoyed her time there, and, as much as she was looking forward to going to London, she would miss the relaxed atmosphere of the resort, the open space, and being in nature. She felt like her time in the forest had gone too quickly. Charlotte vowed to go back to the holiday resort again in the near future, when she returned from London.

"I do hope you return soon," Diana told Sidney as she said goodbye to him. "I know how busy you are in London, but we would like to see you more."

Sidney promised that he would do his best to visit again soon, before he turned to his brother to say goodbye.

"Send our love to our family and friends in London!" Arthur called to Sidney as Sidney and Charlotte started to head towards the taxi that was waiting further down the path.

Charlotte glanced over her shoulder one more time to look at the beautiful woodland resort before she got into the taxi.

The journey in the taxi to the train station took longer than planned, mainly due to the sheer volume of traffic on the roads. It almost seemed as though everyone in the local area was travelling today.

The worry about potentially missing the train was not helping the tense atmosphere in the taxi, not to mention that Charlotte still felt slightly...confused after seeing Sidney looking so handsome this morning as he emerged from the lake. On Saturday, she had been entirely focused on Charles, thinking about how he looked like a perfect, handsome prince-she still thought that-but now, annoyingly, she couldn't get the image of Sidney's torso out of her mind.

Even worse, Charlotte knew that she was reacting to her confusion by unintentionally being a bit distant with Sidney.

Perhaps it was for the best, she decided, that she was soon going to be in London, searching for Charles. The search would be difficult enough, without any added distractions.

Every couple of minutes, Sidney looked as though he were about to say something to Charlotte, but he kept getting distracted by checking the time and the train schedule on his phone, or advising the taxi driver on the quickest route to take.

During yet another silence, Charlotte looked out the taxi window to see a steam train travelling on a nearby train track. It seemed that the steam trains were working again today, too. Perhaps it would remain a mystery to her, how all the trains in the local area had seemingly stopped working yesterday. She also noticed the ruins of an old castle, up on a hill in the near distance, that Charlotte recalled visiting a few times with her parents and sister during her childhood.

Charlotte and Sidney arrived at the train station with barely two minutes to spare.

Sidney carried most of Charlotte's bags as the two of them broke into a run to get to the platform.

Despite the rush to get to the train (this train station was quite a bit bigger than the steam train station), Charlotte was in awe of just how fast Sidney could run. He looked to be at the peak of physical fitness, effortlessly carrying Charlotte's bags, their weight seemingly doing nothing to slow him down, and, as fast as he was moving, Charlotte knew that he would have run even faster, had he not been slowing himself down a little to wait for Charlotte. Charlotte routinely went running and jogging as part of her exercise routine in Willingden, but still she was aware that she was not as fast as Sidney was.

Charlotte could tell that being fit and active was a part of Sidney's job (as well as the ability to defend himself, as she had seen at the ball), as they were skills that seemed to come naturally to him.

Concerned that she was moving too slowly, Charlotte reached for Sidney in the hope that he could support her a little as she ran, and so the two of them would not get separated at the busy station. The gesture was impulsive, fueled by adrenaline, and somehow, the two of them ended up running the last few steps to the platform hand-in-hand. Charlotte was sure that she felt a spark, or a jolt of...something run through her the moment her hand touched Sidney's, but she told herself that she was so caught up in the adrenaline rush of running for the train that she was simply imagining things.

Charlotte and Sidney ran through the train's open doors with only seconds to spare. They stood facing each other near the doorway for a few moments, catching their breath as the train doors closed.

Charlotte caught Sidney's eye, and Sidney actually smiled at her, his smile looking real and genuine, amusement dancing in his eyes, which made Charlotte feel something that she couldn't quite explain. Still, she smiled at Sidney in return; it was like the two of them were secretly sharing in the hilarity of their rush to get to the train, as well as the absurdity of the past few hours. All of it felt so much less awkward, now that Charlotte could laugh about it with Sidney. The tension between them seemed to melt as they held each other's gaze.

With that, the train started to move forwards, heading towards London, and the next chapter of Charlotte's journey.

Chapter Text

The atmosphere on the train to London was a relaxed one, with a lot of the unspoken tension between Charlotte and Sidney apparently having eased after their dramatic dash hand-in-hand to catch the train on time, along with the amused laughter that had followed.

This train wasn't very busy, and Sidney and Charlotte found a couple of empty seats next to a window, where they sat opposite one another, with only a small table between the two of them, sharing quite friendly conversation as they talked about memories of times spent at Sanditon beach, and in Willingden, as well as possible places for Charlotte to visit in London. It turned out that Sidney was fairly easy to talk to, once he let his guard down a little. With the easy conversation, Charlotte could almost forget about the awkwardness of stumbling upon Sidney Parker half-naked at the lake earlier in the morning.

About half an hour into the journey, Sidney was attempting to explain to Charlotte the routes that she would need to take on the London Underground in order to travel to all the places she wished to visit while in London, when Charlotte was interrupted by a phone call. She could see by the number on the screen that the call was coming from The Brothers Hotel, where Charlotte would be staying in London for the next few days.

Charlotte recognised the voice of the hotel's owner, Tom, when she answered her phone, after speaking with him on the phone only yesterday.

"Hello, Tom," said Charlotte, and she noticed that Sidney looked up from his own phone as Tom continued to speak rather loudly through the phone. A frown crossed Sidney's face, although Charlotte did not know why. She briefly wondered if it was because Tom was talking quite enthusiastically, although she didn't think that Sidney had any right to be irritated by that, after his own loud conversation with his friend Crowe yesterday on the steam train. Besides, Charlotte had also received a phone call from her mother a couple of minutes into the journey, who had also been talking very loudly due to her concern for Charlotte, and yet, Sidney hadn't seemed at all perplexed by the volume of that phone call. He didn't really look irritated, anyway, Charlotte decided, as she glanced at Sidney a few times while she talked to Tom; he seemed more...curious about the person who Charlotte was speaking to.

Charlotte focused her attention on Tom, who was still concerned about Charlotte after hearing about the train breaking down yesterday, and he told her that he was calling to check that she was okay, and if she would be arriving in London today.

Charlotte reassured the hotel owner that yes, she was fine, and told him that she was already on a train to the city.

"That's wonderful news!" said Tom. "Your room is ready for you, as soon as you arrive. My wife and I will assist with your check in."

Charlotte spoke to Tom for a couple more minutes, with Tom advising Charlotte on the quickest route to the hotel from the station where Charlotte would soon be arriving, as well as the average price of taxi fares in the city.

"Tom?" said Sidney, the moment Charlotte ended the call, now with a look of disbelief on his face. "As in, Tom Parker...the owner of The Brothers Hotel in London? I thought I recognised his voice..."

"How did you know that?" Charlotte asked Sidney. She couldn't recall telling Sidney the name of the hotel where she would be staying in London.

"Tom Parker is my brother," Sidney explained. "Arthur and I helped to establish that hotel with Tom during its early days, until Tom and his wife, Mary, took over the day to day running of the hotel. I didn't realise that you would be staying there, until I heard Tom's voice over the phone."

"Oh..." said Charlotte in surprise, as realisation dawned about the connection between Sidney and Tom. She remembered Sidney mentioning at the woodland resort that he and Arthur had helped to run a hotel in London with their brother. She couldn't believe that she hadn't put two and two together, until now, that it was the same hotel where she had booked to stay.

"It is a remarkable coincidence," said Sidney, echoing Charlotte's own thoughts, "that you chose that particular hotel to stay in when planning your journey to London..." He seemed genuinely surprised that Charlotte was going to be staying there.

Charlotte could only agree. It really was such a coincidence, that she had chosen to stay at The Brothers Hotel, out of all the hotels available in London.

What were the chances...? she thought to herself. The decision felt fated, almost.

She wondered what it would be like, to stay at a hotel owned by Sidney's brother. Would Sidney be paying regular visits to the hotel?

After they had got over their initial surprise, Charlotte and Sidney talked for a little while longer about Tom and Mary, the hotel, and what it had been like for Sidney to work at the hotel during its early days. Sidney talked so highly of the hotel and the team of staff who worked there that Charlotte found herself looking forward to staying there even more.

It wasn't long however before the train started to slow down as it pulled into the station in London, and both Sidney and Charlotte became distracted with gathering their belongings (with Sidney mainly helping Charlotte to carry her bags) and exiting the train when the doors opened.

The train station was big and very busy-nothing like the little, countryside train stations in and around Willingden-and Sidney's stance was protective again as he helped to guide Charlotte through the crowd and towards the station's main exit. Again, Charlotte sensed that Sidney regularly guided people through busy places and through crowds, as part of his job.

Sidney seemed deep in thought as the two of them walked through the station, and it was only when they were outside the station's main doors, and Charlotte was about to get into a taxi, that Sidney engaged Charlotte in conversation again: "Here," he said, just as Charlotte had started to turn away to get into the taxi, handing Charlotte what looked like a business card that he had just taken out of his pocket.

Sidney sounded a little hesitant as he spoke, as though he had been debating saying anything at all.

Feeling a bit confused, Charlotte regarded the business card curiously for a few moments. The name of The Brothers Hotel was printed at the top of the card, and in the centre was a contact number for 'Mr. Sidney Parker'.

"I understand perfectly that you may wish to go on this journey in London alone," Sidney started to explain, "and I will not trouble you at the hotel, if that is the case. Regardless of my family connection to the hotel, it should be your own private space while you are here, if that is what you would prefer. However, should you require any assistance with your search while you are here, I can still be reached on that contact number," he said, as he inclined his head in the direction of the business card.

Charlotte sensed that Sidney Parker was a difficult man to get in contact with, and she doubted that he gave his number out to many people (perhaps he had several phones and contact numbers, as part of his job, or simply to add to his air of being a 'man of mystery'), and Charlotte suspected that he had simply given her an old contact number for a phone that he still occasionally checked.

But she also knew that there was more to it than that-Sidney was giving her the space, and the time, to make a decision for herself as to whether she truly wanted to accept his offer of help in London; to decided if she really did want to spend anymore time with him after a day spent together yesterday. He was not trying to pressure her into making a decision there and then, by asking for her number, or by offering to add his number into her phone. He was also telling her that he would respect her need for distance from him in the city, if that was what she wanted. He was even offering to stay away from The Brothers Hotel completely, if Charlotte did not wish for him to assist her in London; to not intrude on a place that would be Charlotte's for the next few days (even though that same place had once been his), if she did not want to see him there, even though this would no doubt be difficult for Sidney, as he would probably want to visit his brother and sister-in-law, now that he was back in the city, with some apparently rare time off from his work. She wondered if he viewed her decision to stay at his brother's hotel as nothing more than an inconvenience, or an added complication.

Charlotte thanked Sidney, telling him that she would think about his offer, before she put the business card safely in her handbag.

"One more thing," said Sidney, when Charlotte went to turn away again. He sounded even more hesitant now, and uncharacteristically uncertain.

Charlotte turned back around to face Sidney, wondering what had so unnerved him.

"With regards to our... accidental meeting, at the lake earlier today..." he said slowly, with a frown. "I do hope you were not too...embarrassed. I did not wish to make you feel uncomfortable..."

"It's fine, you did nothing to make me feel uncomfortable," Charlotte said quickly, holding her head high and hoping that she was doing a good job at appearing unfazed by the event that had transpired earlier this morning. She felt that it would give Sidney power over her, in a way, if he knew that he could so easily make her blush due to his good looks and toned torso. Besides, right now, Charlotte couldn't help feeling a bit amused by just how uncertain Sidney looked at bringing up this topic of conversation with her. "After all," she added with a smile, trying to make this conversation a bit more lighthearted, "I had less reason to be embarrassed, as I was the one who was fully clothed..."

"Yes, of course, okay, I'm glad we've cleared that up," said Sidney, sounding slightly taken aback by Charlotte's response. "Well then..." he said, looking eager for a change of topic.

"Well then," Charlotte repeated, fighting off another smile, "I'd best be going. I'll be in touch if I need anything..."

Sidney nodded, opening the door of the waiting taxi for Charlotte so that she could get in.

Charlotte was still smiling as the taxi pulled out of the station and started its journey towards the hotel, especially when she noticed that Sidney waited on the pavement outside the station until her taxi was almost out of his sight before he got into a taxi of his own.

The journey in the taxi took a bit longer than Charlotte had expected, as there was a lot of traffic along the way, and the car therefore only moved slowly.

Charlotte knew that she would have to get used to traffic jams over the next few days, as the busy roads of London were very different to the long, winding, quiet country roads of Willingden. Charlotte didn't mind too much about the traffic however, as the longer journey gave her the opportunity to look out the taxi's window and admire the sights that the city of London had to offer-the tall buildings; the old-fashioned houses near to the more modern apartment buildings; the gateways leading to royal parks; the shops selling designer clothes; the red London buses; the contrast between the hustle and bustle of the city centre and the more residential areas on the outskirts of the city.

The Brothers Hotel was located in a slightly more residential part of the city, in an old Georgian-style house, on a street full of similar houses on both sides of the road.

Charlotte got out of the taxi when it arrived at the hotel and she stared up in wonder for a few moments at the exterior of the old house that looked like it wouldn't be out of place in a period drama or a Regency romance, before she confronted the more practical challenge of carrying all her bags up the stone steps that led to the building's front door. It felt odd, to not have Sidney by her side to help her now.

The front door was unlocked, and so Charlotte stepped inside. The hotel's entrance hallway was quiet, and there didn't appear to be anyone else around downstairs just yet, and so Charlotte had the time to take a moment to pause and take in her new surroundings...

The interior of the hotel was mostly in keeping with its old-fashioned exterior. There were high ceilings and rugs placed on the wooden floor in the entrance hallway that had started to fade a little, as well as a staircase leading to the rooms upstairs that looked like it contained several stairs that would creak loudly the moment they were stepped on.

To Charlotte's left, there was a spacious living room that also looked like it wouldn't be out of place in an Austen adaptation, complete with a large, wooden bookcase filled with classic novels, a few mismatched sofas and armchairs, one of which had a folded patchwork quilt on it, along with a few wooden chairs with brightly-coloured cushions placed on them.

There were also a few wooden tables in the living room, with items that could be used for knitting, sewing and various other arts and crafts currently scattered about on their surfaces, next to a few books on the tables that must have been borrowed from the bookshelf.

From where she was standing, Charlotte could also see a little room attached to the back of the living room. The room seemed to contain a few snacks for guests, as well as a kettle, and a coffee machine.

To Charlotte's right, there was another room that was clearly the hotel's Reception, complete with a dark wooden table with a little, old-fashioned bell, and a more modern computer on its surface; a blend between the past and the present.

Charlotte walked towards the Reception desk, waiting for a couple of minutes before she pressed the little metal bell when nobody arrived at the desk.

Finally, she heard the sound of footsteps walking down the stairs before a man appeared in the room, carrying as assortment of folders, tools, and even a couple of teacups in his arms. Charlotte thought it was a miracle that he was managing to balance all these items in his arms without dropping anything as he took rapid steps towards the Reception desk.

A quick glance at the man's name tag let Charlotte know that this was the hotel's owner, Tom Parker.

"Welcome! Welcome!" said Tom, as he stepped behind the Reception desk. "So sorry to keep you waiting! Charlotte, is it?"

Charlotte nodded, and then Tom tried to find somewhere to place all the items he was holding so that he could begin the check-in process.

Tom still looked rather distracted as he tried to log into the hotel's computer system-Charlotte also noticed that was a bit of dirt across his face, and some dust on his shirt, as though he had just been doing some sort of DIY. Charlotte got the impression that he was frequently in a hurry, trying to do many things at once. Perhaps the hotel required a lot of upkeep.

Charlotte looked around the room as Tom attempted to log in to the computer. There was a smaller wooden table opposite the Reception desk, and Charlotte couldn't help noticing all the framed photographs on the table. She could now recognise several of the people in the photographs-Tom, Arthur and Diana Parker, and of course Sidney Parker, who looked very handsome in all of the pictures that were on display.

Eventually, Tom managed to log in to the computer. He started to check Charlotte in, taking a few details from Charlotte to confirm her booking before he instructed a couple of staff members who had just walked into the room to carry Charlotte's luggage to her room for her, so that Charlotte would not have to carry her bags upstairs.

Tom's expression was apologetic as he explained to Charlotte about recent flooding at the hotel, and other technical difficulties that the hotel had experienced as a result, telling Charlotte that this was the reason why he and his wife were currently offering rooms at a discounted rate, with a few repairs to the building still taking place. He insisted that the building was safe however, and he said that the current maintenance shouldn't affect Charlotte's stay in any way, although he advised Charlotte that she should alert him or any other members of staff if she needed anything, or if she had any cause for concern.

It wasn't long before a fair-haired woman also entered the room. She greeted Charlotte warmly as she moved to stand behind the Reception desk.

Charlotte could see from the woman's name tag that her name was Mary Parker, who Charlotte already knew from her conversations with Sidney to be Tom's wife, and Sidney's sister-in-law.

As Tom introduced Mary, Charlotte decided that she should mention her new-found acquaintance with Sidney Parker, as it was likely that Tom would find out anyway through his brother, if they were in regular contact.

"Ah, how wonderful that you and Sidney are already acquainted!" said Tom with a smile, as Charlotte told him all about first meeting Sidney in Willingden, and also how she had known him a little through Lady Denham, before Sidney had helped her on her journey to London.

She noticed that Mary was watching her curiously as she talked about Sidney, although Charlotte was unsure why.

"I couldn't think of a more capable person to assist with a journey to London," Tom continued, "especially in the circumstances you have faced, with a delay in the journey, and a train breaking down along the way. Sidney is something of an expert at averting a crisis," Tom added with a smile, looking very proud of his younger brother. "He's always cool and calm in the face of adversity..."

Again Charlotte got the impression that Sidney was often faced with adversity in his day to day life. It still surprised her, to hear people talk so highly of Sidney, when he had often come across as being cold and arrogant during his visits to Willingden.

Tom then talked so happily about Sidney having some time off work this week that Charlotte just knew that, in spite of her appreciation of Sidney's gentlemanly behaviour in offering to stay away from the hotel while Charlotte was there, she really couldn't ask him to do that in good conscience, not when his brother and sister-in-law both looked so eager to see him. It seemed that the Parkers struggled to find the time to spend together, no doubt due to their long working hours.

"And you've met Arthur and Diana, too!" Tom exclaimed with another grin, when Charlotte told him and Mary about her overnight stay at the woodland resort. "It seems you have met most of our family members already. It is almost as though your journey to this very hotel was fated!"

Charlotte couldn't help but agree. She felt like she had arrived exactly where she was supposed to be.

After Tom had finished checking Charlotte in and he handed her her room key, Mary showed Charlotte to her room.

Mary talked a little to Charlotte about her family as the two women walked up the stairs together, as well as talking about her and her husband's work at the hotel.

"Sometimes, it feels as though there are three of us in our marriage..." said Mary, as she and Charlotte walked through the upstairs hallway that led to Charlotte's room.

Charlotte turned her head quickly to look at Mary in surprise, but she noticed that there was amusement in Mary's eyes, behind the exasperated expression.

"...Myself, my husband, and this hotel," Mary clarified with a smile. "The management of this place is a great passion of his, and I admire his dedication, but it does take up a lot of his time and energy," she said with a soft sigh. "I suppose you will find out for yourself, should you end up marrying someone who is similarly dedicated to their career," Mary added, with what looked like a knowing smile, which was a bit confusing to Charlotte, as Charlotte had never even come close to getting married. She thought that perhaps Mary was assuming that Charlotte was in London to go on dates, or to meet with a boyfriend who worked in a demanding job in the city.

Charlotte noticed a picture of Mary and Tom on display in the upstairs hallway as she passed, with Mary holding a baby in her arms in the picture, and three young children standing next to Mary and Tom. Charlotte could only wonder how the couple managed to run a hotel while raising four children.

It wasn't long before they arrived at Charlotte's room.

Mary opened the door for Charlotte, and Charlotte stood in the doorway for a few moments, appreciating the hotel room, with its four poster bed, comfortable-looking furniture, freshly polished wooden surfaces, and the large windows-complete with a window seat-that offered a perfect view of the street outside, with Tower Bridge just visible in the distance, through the windows.

Mary explained a little about the room's features, before she insisted on giving Charlotte a bit of time to herself so she could settle in.

"I'm sure you'll have a wonderful stay here," Mary told Charlotte with a smile as she exited her room and closed the door softly behind her.

Charlotte already had a feeling that she would get along well with Mary, and that the two of them would share more conversations during Charlotte's stay at the hotel.

Charlotte took a little time to relax in her room, unpacking slowly and taking the time to appreciate her new surroundings and unwind a little after a busy twenty-four hours.

While she was unpacking, Charlotte went downstairs to get a snack from the mini kitchen next to the living room, saying a brief hello to a couple of other guests who had just arrived at the hotel, before heading back upstairs.

She then sat in the window seat for a little while, admiring the view as she looked at the other Georgian houses across the road, as well as observing the occasional passerby, wondering to herself whereabout in the city they might be headed to.

Charlotte fell into a light sleep as she stared out the window, dreaming about dancing in a castle ballroom with a prince. The prince's outline in Charlotte's dream was rather blurry, and Charlotte could not make out who he was or exactly what he looked like, but her subconscious mind knew that he was very handsome all the same, and she felt safe and content to be dancing with him in her dream.

Charlotte awoke with a renewed determination to find Charles, in the hope of finding her real-life happily ever after. Perhaps Charles really was some sort of secret prince, and that was why he had been so secretive about his identity.

Suddenly remembering what Sidney had advised her during one of their conversations in the forest, Charlotte used her phone to take a picture of Charles's red jacket that she had recently unpacked from her suitcase and posted the picture to her Instagram page, adding an explanation about meeting the mysterious Charles at the ball in Willingden, where he had left his jacket after leaving at midnight due to some sort of emergency, and explaining to her followers that she was eager to return the jacket to him, having travelled to London to do so, as it was clearly valuable to him, and asking if there was anyone who might know more about who he was, or where she could find him. She also added the same post to the bookshop's social media pages, as Charlotte had more followers on there, and there was more chance that the post would be shared.

A few minutes later, after the post had only been liked a couple of times by her followers, Charlotte received a phone call from Alison, who wanted to check that Charlotte had arrived safely in London. The two sisters talked for a little while, with Charlotte updating Alison on almost everything that had happened over the past twenty-four hours, although she deliberately left out the part about her encounter with Sidney Parker at the lake, feeling too embarrassed to talk about that yet, before telling Alison about her recent arrival at the hotel in London.

Alison seemed fascinated that Charlotte had spent so much time with Sidney over the past twenty-four hours, now viewing him as some sort of knight-in-shining-armour in Charlotte's story, after Charlotte explained to her about how Sidney had ended up offering her a place to stay last night, at his siblings' holiday resort.

It seemed that Alison's respect for Sidney had increased due to his recent actions, and she was now more convinced that it would be beneficial for Charlotte to have Sidney Parker by her side in the city while she was searching for Charles.

Charlotte however told Alison that she would have to make the decision on her own, as to whether she wanted to spend more time with Sidney while in London.

The sisters then talked in more detail about the conversations that Charlotte had had with Lady Denham and Susan, before Charlotte left Willingden.

"I feel that they were trying to warn me, somehow, against searching for Charles, based on their own past heartbreak," Charlotte admitted to Alison, allowing her nerves about her quest to find Charles to creep in a little. "They seemed to hint more than once that my search for my 'prince' will only end in heartbreak. Although, perhaps this way, there is a hint of the Romeo and Juliet story with Charles and I," Charlotte added with a dreamy sigh, trying to look for the positives as her heart once again encouraged her to romanticise her search for Charles, "what with the two of us coming from different walks of life, and so many people in our lives seemingly being against the match..."

"I think you are perhaps reading far too many Shakespeare plays and romance novels, during your breaks at the bookshop," Alison said in response, sounding like she was holding back her laughter. It seemed that Alison was becoming ever more cynical and practical, with each day that she spent as a professional, world-class footballer.

"You laugh now," Charlotte told her sister, "but perhaps one day you will meet a handsome man at a party and be instantly smitten, and then you will understand..."

Charlotte's tone was light, playful, gently mocking her sister in the way both of them often did, but Alison seemed to go quiet for several long seconds, and when she spoke again, her tone was serious...sad, almost, if Charlotte was not mistaken, which was a little surprising to her: "Perhaps," said Alison with a sigh. "Anyway, I have to go," she said quickly, "my training session's just about to start. Be careful in London, Charlotte, and give some serious consideration to accepting Sidney Parker's offer to help you. I'll speak to you soon. Goodbye." With that, Alison ended the call before Charlotte could say anything else.

Charlotte stared at her phone screen in confusion for a few minutes. She couldn't help feeling like there was more to the story, what with Alison's less than thrilled response to Charlotte's joking comment about meeting someone and being instantly smitten. She'd always believed that she knew Alison better than she knew anyone else; that her sister always confided in her about her troubles, but now, Charlotte was starting to wonder if Alison had her own secrets-a past heartbreak, maybe? Perhaps she did not always tell Charlotte everything.

She vowed to call Alison later in the evening, after her sister's training session, to check that she hadn't unintentionally upset her.

Deciding that she needed to clear her head and get some fresh air, Charlotte grabbed her bag and her grandmother's professional camera and headed out for a walk.

Just before she left the hotel, she checked her social media to see if anyone had already sent her any information about Charles. She saw that she had received a few comments on the picture she had posted of Charles's jacket, but they were all from her followers, simply wishing her good luck on her search for her mystery man. It seemed that so far, nobody knew of Charles's whereabouts, or even who he was.

Following a map on her phone, Charlotte headed in the direction of Tower Bridge, pausing along the way to take a few photos of various things in the city, before travelling on the London Underground for a few stops.

Eventually, Charlotte stood on the bank of the River Thames, looking at Tower Bridge in the near distance. She used her camera to take a few photos of the bridge, as well as taking a few photos of her surroundings on her phone to post to social media.

After that, she stood in silent contemplation for a little while, still hardly able to believe that she was here, in London. Already, so much had happened in less than a week-it was all still a bit surreal-and now Charlotte was about to embark on what could be an important journey in her life. Perhaps this trip to London would set the course for her future.

The Tower of London was visible just beyond Tower Bridge, and Charlotte suddenly remembered what Sidney Parker had said at the ball, about Charles possibly working there, and his theory that Charles could be one of the London Guards.

She decided that the Tower of London would be a good place to start her search-she would go there tomorrow though, as it was already getting late now; the sky had turned a beautiful shade of orange mixed with hints of lilac as the sun began to set.

Tonight, Charlotte would buy something light to eat on her way back to the hotel, and then she would get some rest before beginning her search in earnest in the morning. Perhaps she really would see Charles again in less than twenty-four hours. Charlotte had always been fascinated by mystery novels, and Charles was a real-life mystery that she felt she had to solve.

Charlotte knew that she should head back to the hotel soon, but she wanted to stay on the bank of the Thames for just a bit longer, to admire the beautiful view...

Strangely, as determined as Charlotte was to find Charles, her mind kept drifting back to Sidney Parker. As her eyes were drawn to Tower Bridge again, she thought about her conversation with Sidney at the train station only a few hours ago, where he had again offered Charlotte his assistance with her search, along with a contact number. She also thought about her recent conversation with Alison, and Alison's encouragement for Charlotte to accept Sidney's offer of help.

Before she could think too deeply about it, Charlotte found herself taking the business card that Sidney had given her out of her bag. Suddenly, she was dialing the number on the card, her body seemingly taking action before her mind could catch up with what she was doing.

"Hello?" said the distinct voice of Sidney Parker, when he answered Charlotte's call.

"Sidney, it's me," said Charlotte, wondering why she sounded a little breathless, even to her own ears.

"Charlotte," Sidney said instantly, even though Charlotte had not actually said her name. Sidney's tone was serious, but there was a hint of concern there, too. Charlotte didn't know why this made her heart start to beat a bit faster. Perhaps she was just anxious about asking him for help. "Is everything alright?" Sidney asked her.

"Everything's fine," Charlotte said quickly. "I was just thinking..." she continued, her voice slower, more contemplative now, "...hypothetically, if I were to say that I required your assistance tomorrow for a visit to the Tower of London...what would you say?"

Sidney went quiet for a few moments. He seemed to be deep in thought. Finally, he responded: "I would say that I would meet you at ten AM outside the hotel tomorrow, after my work meeting, to take you to the Tower, if that is what you want. I would also perhaps say that I could speak with my contacts at the Tower tomorrow to see if we could maybe jump the queue and get in quicker...entirely hypothetically, of course," he added, with a rare hint of amusement and playfulness in his tone. Charlotte could tell that he was smiling now, which made Charlotte smile in turn. She told herself that it was just because it was so rare for her to hear Sidney Parker make any sort of joke, or use a playful tone.

"Okay, well, I accept your offer, and, I suppose I'll see you tomorrow, then," Charlotte said quickly, ending the call before she could change her mind.

After that, she stared at the Tower of London in the distance for a little while longer, wondering what tomorrow would bring.

Chapter Text

It was getting late by the time Charlotte returned to The Brothers Hotel. She had stayed out on the banks of the River Thames until it had started to go dark, before she'd begun her journey back to the hotel, stopping at a little café for a light meal along the way.

When she returned to the hotel, Charlotte spent a bit of time in the hotel lounge, relaxing with a cup of tea, and looking up information on her phone about the Tower of London, including information about the beautiful and moving Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red art installation, with its ceramic red poppies, which had been displayed several years ago in the moat of the Tower of London to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of World War One.

She then attempted to draw a few sketches of Charles on a couple of blank pieces of paper that had been left on the coffee table-what she could remember of Charles's appearance, anyway, as her memory of what he had looked like at the ball was already starting to fade a little, what with everything that had happened since.

She even received a few messages from Sidney Parker as she sat in the lounge; in the first message, he asked her if it was okay from him to text her, and, after Charlotte confirmed that it was okay, the messages from him that followed were focused on tomorrow's arrangements for visiting the Tower of London, with Sidney arranging a time to meet Charlotte outside the hotel in the morning, after his meeting had finished. It felt rather strange to Charlotte, to be texting with Sidney Parker and arranging to meet with him, almost like he was a friend of hers.

A little while later, Charlotte got into conversation with a few of the other guests who joined her in the lounge area, including an elderly woman who introduced herself as Angela, who sat down in an armchair near to Charlotte. Angela stayed in the room for about half an hour before she went up to bed, knitting with a steady hand using the knitting supplies that were available in the room, and telling Charlotte stories about growing up in London many years ago, where she had attended many fancy balls in the city as a young woman. She made every dance sound so beautiful that Charlotte found herself wishing that she could find Charles soon and dance with him again at another ball.

Tom and Mary also came to say goodnight before they left for the evening. Charlotte noticed that they had worked until very late, and they both looked tired as they walked out the front door.

Not long after that, Charlotte headed upstairs to bed, the busy day starting to catch up with her as she yawned a couple of times while putting on her pyjamas. She made sure to send a message to Alison, to check that she was okay, after she had seemed a little out of sorts during their conversation earlier. Alison responded quickly, insisting that she was fine and had just been feeling a bit tired after all her football training. Charlotte felt a little more reassured as she got into bed, but she vowed to check on her sister again soon.

Charlotte's bed in the hotel room was very comfortable, and it wasn't long before she fell asleep.

That night, Charlotte had the dream again. In her dream, she was running down the stone steps of the rather foreboding-looking castle, on a dark night, with only the moonlight to guide her. She was wearing stilettos in her dream, which made it slightly more difficult to move in her dream setting, but this did little to deter her in her determination to escape the confines of the castle, even though she had no idea why she was so eager to get away, or why the dark, mysterious forest appeared to be a better alternative to whatever, or whoever, was lurking inside the castle.

Charlotte was vaguely aware of one of her stilettos falling off in her dream, but still she kept on running with only one shoe on, leaving her other shoe behind on the stone steps, in her eagerness to get away.

Charlotte's dream-self ran towards the tall trees of the forest, where she was quickly surrounded by the ominous sounds of wolves howling in the distance, as well as the sound of leaves rustling in the wind. Charlotte couldn't make out much of the night sky above, as it was now mostly obscured by the tall trees, but she was certain that she could see flashes of lightning in between a few of the gaps in the branches, and she could hear the clap of thunder. She noticed that it had started to rain in the dream forest, although the heavy rain was not soaking through her clothes in the way that it would in real life.

She heard the hissing of the snake before she saw it, wrapping itself slowly around a nearby tree. Charlotte barely had time to feel a hint of anxiety before she was distracted by the sight of something that she had not yet seen in this recurring dream-a unicorn that was such a bright shade of white that it almost looked silver.

The unicorn moved rapidly, seemingly galloping with purpose towards wherever it was heading, moving so quickly that Charlotte almost lost sight of it.

Charlotte decided to try to follow the unicorn, as some deep-rooted part of herself seemed to sense that it was heading in the right direction; she felt like it would lead her to safety, after a few challenges along the way in the forest.

She followed the trail of light in the forest that the unicorn had left in its wake, convinced somehow that she was taking the right path.

Unfortunately, Charlotte did not quite manage to catch up with the unicorn in this dream, although she sensed that she would see it again, in another dream.

After the unicorn had vanished from view, Charlotte ended up in the clearing again, with dream versions of Lady Denham, Alison and Susan standing at the clearing's centre, looking like they were trying to guide Charlotte in the right direction.

From where she was now standing in the clearing, Charlotte could just make out the mysterious man who always appeared in this dream, standing between a gap in the trees in the distance.

The man appeared to be wearing armour, like a knight, although his armour looked a little rusty, which Charlotte thought could be due to the heavy rain, although she wasn't entirely sure if this was the case, or if there was a deeper meaning to the rusty armour.

As usual, the man turned to look at Charlotte, just as Charlotte suddenly heard another loud clap of thunder in her dream, which caused her to startle awake before she could see the man's face.

Charlotte felt confused for a few moments, in a state between sleep and wakefulness, with her heart beating fast. She briefly wondered where she was, but it wasn't long before she got her bearings and remembered that she was in a hotel room in London.

She glanced in the direction of the window, and she noticed through a gap in the curtains that it was raining heavily outside. Charlotte could also see that it was still dark. Given the current bad weather, and the storm clouds in the sky, she had a feeling that she hadn't only heard the sound of thunder in her dream.

Still feeling exhausted after a busy day, it wasn't long before Charlotte drifted back off to sleep.

Although Charlotte's sleep had been somewhat disturbed by her recurring dream, still she felt well-rested and eager to take on the day ahead when she woke up later in the morning. She wondered if it was the excitement of her upcoming visit to the Tower of London that was making her feel so wide awake, as well as the possibility of reuniting with Charles while she was there.

Not for the first time, she couldn't help wondering what the dream that she had had yet again last night could mean, especially all the new signs and symbols that had appeared in it, including the unicorn and the rusty armour. Was her dream truly trying to send her a message? Or, more worryingly, perhaps some sort of warning?

As Charlotte got ready, dressing casually in jeans, a white T-shirt, and trainers, she quickly checked her social media, to see if she had received anymore comments on her recent post about Charles's jacket. She did have a few new comments, but they were mostly more people wishing her good luck with her search, while other comments were from people who wanted to tell her how romantic they thought her search for her mystery man was. She felt that people were starting to get invested in her journey to find Charles in London, and she couldn't help feeling even more pressure to find him, to prove to others that these stories could have a happy ending.

As she scrolled through her social media, Charlotte also saw that James Stringer had recently got engaged. He had posted the announcement yesterday, but Charlotte had missed it, as it had only just come up in her newsfeed. She was a little surprised that James had got engaged so quickly, but she realised, with a huge sense of relief, that she didn't feel upset or jealous in any way. Charlotte truly wished him every happiness. She only wished that she could have a love story of her own to celebrate.

Charlotte ate a quick breakfast in the little dining room downstairs, at the back of the hotel. Tom and Mary weren't working at the hotel this morning, and Charlotte was glad for them, that they seemed to have a morning off, after they had worked until late yesterday.

With the dining room being a little quiet, Charlotte text Alison about her plans for the morning, keen for somebody else to know where she would be today, and to share in her excitement.

Sidney arrived promptly at the hotel at the exact time that he and Charlotte had agreed to meet, sending Charlotte a message first to let her know that he was at the main door.

Charlotte was ready to go, with her bag and her camera over her shoulder. She had already packed a few essentials in her bag for the day, including a bottle of water, snacks, her London guidebook, her wallet, and of course her phone, on which she had saved some information about the Tower.

She had considered bringing Charles's jacket and poetry book with her today, too, just in case she did reunite with him, but in the end, she had decided against it-her bag wasn't really big enough to carry such items throughout the day, especially when there was no guarantee that she would find Charles today. Not to mention that Charles would likely be working, if she did come across him at the Tower of London.

Charlotte decided that if she did find Charles today, she would get his contact details this time, and then she would have an excuse to arrange to meet with him again to give him back the items that he had left behind at the ball.

She did however put the artificial red poppy that Charles had given to her at the ball in her bag, more as a good luck charm than anything else. The more fanciful part of her mind imagined that it would be rather romantic, to run into Charles while holding the flower in her hand.

She had also put on the bracelet with silver charms on that she had worn at the ball, as a reminder to herself of the adventure that she had been looking for; the reason why she had come to London in the first place; a journey that seemed to have been fated, in a way, from the day that Charlotte had visited Susan's shop and opened the fortune cookies.

Charlotte felt a strange sense of nervous anticipation as she headed to the front door. She appreciated that Sidney was respecting her privacy at the hotel by not stepping inside the building, even though he had probably been here many times before, and no doubt knew the code to open the door. However, Charlotte knew that she would have encouraged him to go inside the hotel for a little while, if Tom and Mary had been there.

When she opened the door, she saw Sidney standing outside on the front steps, looking very handsome dressed in a dark T-shirt, with the expensive-looking sunglasses he was wearing adding to his air of mystery. His stance was confident, with his arms folded and a determined look on his face.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked her, and Charlotte nodded, eager to begin her search.

She noticed that there was a very fancy black car parked a few feet behind Sidney, with a woman who looked to be in her mid-forties sitting in the driver's seat, also wearing sunglasses, and with a very serious expression on her face.

Charlotte enquired as to whether the car belonged to Sidney, and he answered with a nod, before he explained that he usually had the use of various cars for work purposes, and he also had access to this car on his days off, too. He told Charlotte that they could use this car today, and over the next few days if they wished, to take them to the Tower of London and to help with the search for Charles in the city.

Charlotte thought about it for a few moments, but in the end, she decided that she would prefer to take the Underground for at least part of the journey today. She wanted her visit to London to be as authentic as possible, and she felt like she would get more out of the experience if she travelled around the city like the locals did, and indeed like the city's visitors and tourists did, too.

Sidney nodded, accepting Charlotte's answer. "The car could simply take us to the nearest Underground station, if you would prefer?" he suggested as a compromise, after thinking about it for a few moments. "Anna, my driver, will also be on call throughout the day, should we have need of the car at any point, or if you find it is taking too long to travel by train at times…"

Charlotte nodded, and after a few more moments of consideration, she decided to accept Sidney's offer to have the car take them to the nearest Underground station, before continuing the rest of the journey by train.

Charlotte followed Sidney to the car. She wasn't usually in the habit of getting into cars with people she didn't know very well, but Sidney had proved himself to be trustworthy, during the time they had spent together at the holiday resort, and he was Lady Denham's grandson, who had vouched for him, as had Susan, and Charlotte had now met Sidney's siblings, who had also talked highly of him.

The interior of the car was just as fancy as its exterior, and its leather seats were very comfortable, and again Charlotte suspected that Sidney was rather wealthy. She knew that Sidney Parker must have an important job, to have access to such a fancy car, complete with a driver. She wondered if she would find out what he did for a living, before the end of her trip to London.

The car began its short journey to the nearest Underground station. Charlotte had worried that there might be a few awkward silences, but Sidney was polite enough, mentioning his morning meeting (although he didn't go into much detail about it), and telling Charlotte that although his management team had appreciated his help during the meeting, they had insisted that he should go and enjoy the rest of his day off. Charlotte couldn't help wondering if Sidney really would enjoy spending his day off with her.

"It can be difficult to step away from it all, at times," Sidney admitted to Charlotte after they had talked about work for a little while longer, his tone serious, and Charlotte sensed that he was being sincere, and that he also perhaps did not talk this candidly to many people about his struggle to find a work-life balance, "although I console myself with the thought that there will no doubt be extra work waiting for me on my return, and my colleagues will therefore be additionally grateful for my presence," he added, his lip turned up in a sort of smile, in an obvious attempt to lighten the mood.

They then talked a little bit about Charles, and Sidney asked Charlotte if she had any new leads in her search for him, and Charlotte felt a bit embarrassed at having to admit that she didn't. They also talked about the Tower of London, and the probability of Charles being one of the guards there. Charlotte told Sidney that although she was hoping to find Charles at the Tower, she was also eager to take a tour and spend some time at the landmark, appreciating its history.

A few minutes later, Charlotte and Sidney took the short journey on an Underground train to Tower Hill Tube Station. The journey didn't take long, due to the station's central location.

The sun was starting to appear from behind the clouds when Charlotte and Sidney stepped outside the station. Charlotte could see the Tower of London in the near distance, located on the edge of the River Thames, with Tower Bridge and The Shard also visible. Charlotte had heard that the views from The Shard were magnificent, and she wondered if she would have the opportunity to visit it while she was in London.

She felt a thrill of excitement on seeing such famous landmarks in daylight, feeling like she had truly arrived in London now. She hoped that it wouldn't be long before she was reunited with Charles.

It was only a few minutes' walk from the Tube station to the entrance of the Tower. Charlotte and Sidney purchased tickets at the starting point near the River Thames before making their way through an entrance tunnel.

There were two guards guarding the gates at the entrance. Charlotte glanced at them quickly, but she could see that neither of the men were Charles.

The Tower of London complex was not just a singular and instead consisted of more than twenty towers, and Charlotte knew that she would need plenty of time to explore the complex, if she truly wanted to make the most of the experience.

From the information that Charlotte had looked up, the Tower had been used as a fortress, a palace and royal buildings, with its key buildings surrounded by a defensive wall and a moat. She started to walk through the grounds with Sidney, taking a few photos of the Tower's resident ravens along the way, while Sidney shared a few historical facts about the Tower of London, including information about its founder, William the Conqueror, who had picked the strategic location following the Norman Conquest, and how the Tower had been used for the nation's defence, record keeping and coinage.

Charlotte was impressed by Sidney's historical knowledge, as history was a topic that she had never imagined he would be interested in. He had always seemed more like a live-in-the-moment type of person, ready to spring into action when necessary, moving forward rather than looking backwards. She wondered if his in-depth knowledge was simply because he often visited London's historical landmarks due to living in the city and apparently having the financial means to do so.

Charlotte was about to ask Sidney more, but she was distracted by a group of tourists who asked her if she could take their picture.

The Yeomen Warders, popularly known as the Beefeaters, were the ceremonial guards of the Tower of London. The information that Charlotte had looked up about them had informed her that all Warders were retired from the British Armed Forces. Sidney also explained that they protected the Crown Jewels, and they had given guided tours since the Victorian era.

Charlotte could see several of the Yeomen Warders walking around the Tower's grounds, wearing dark blue uniforms with red trimmings. Some of them were giving tours to groups of visitors.

Charlotte wasn't sure if she was just imagining it, but several of the Warders seemed to recognise Sidney-they nodded and smiled at him as they walked past, while Sidney greeted them politely in return, although he did not elaborate as to how he might know them. It seemed like they all would have stopped to talk to him, had they not been busy giving tours, and Sidney also seemed to want to speak to them about something.

Charlotte and Sidney first visited Mint Lane, where the Royal Mint, the maker of British coins, had once been located.

Next, they headed to the infamous Bloody Tower, where prisoners had once been kept, which Sidney explained got its name from the mysterious disappearance of two princes. Its structure was protected by a portcullis and a gate.

Near the entrance to the Bloody Tower was a small garden that had once been tended to by Sir Walter Raleigh, according to the information on display there. Charlotte spent some time looking at a sculpture in the garden that remembered the execution of three queens. There was definitely a sense of sorrow that still hung over this place that had now become a popular tourist attraction.

They then walked through Tower Green, which looked like a pretty village square. Charlotte stopped to take pictures of the Tudor houses there, in particular the house that had been built for Anne Boleyn, before her coronation. It was a bit overwhelming, to think about how much history had been made here, and Charlotte found herself becoming a bit distracted from her search for Charles. However, there were a couple of guards stationed outside the house, and Charlotte made sure to look carefully, to check to see if either of them could be Charles-neither were, and so Charlotte and Sidney moved on to the iconic White Tower, the largest tower at the heart of the Tower of London, which had once provided accommodation for William the Conqueror, and now housed an armoury collection that dated back to the fifteenth century.

Charlotte was in awe as she viewed the collection of armoury and artefacts on display inside the stone tower, many of them once belonging to former kings of England.

St John's Chapel was also located inside the White Tower, and Charlotte and Sidney spent a bit of time there, amongst other visitors who were also in quiet contemplation inside the chapel.

A few minutes later, Charlotte and Sidney headed back outside into the Tower grounds, starting to head in the direction of Tower Block, where the Crown Jewels were housed.

Charlotte had initially thought that it would be a bit strange to spend a morning with Sidney Parker, as he had always seemed rather distant when he visited Willingden, but this had proved to not be the case, much to her surprise. The experience was different, maybe, but not strange. Sidney had mostly been relaxed throughout the morning, although he had seemed to scan the crowd several times while walking through the grounds, the guards in particular, helping Charlotte with her search but also always seeming very aware of his surroundings, and the people around him, more so than the average person, anyway, but he looked fairly happy all the same, making conversation with Charlotte and greeting the Yeomen Warders who passed the two of them.

He was however interrupted several times by phone calls, which Charlotte could quite easily overhear as the callers all seemed to speak in quite loud voices to overcome the background noise at their various locations-two of the calls were from an elderly couple who Sidney told Charlotte were work colleagues of his, both of them asking him about an upcoming event in Windsor; then there were a few calls from Sidney's older brother, Tom, asking him questions about the hotel; as well as a few calls from Sidney's friend, Crowe, asking Sidney when he was going to come and visit him, now that he was back in London. Sidney explained to Charlotte that his friend ran an old-fashioned pub not too far from the Tower, and he added that he tried to go there for lunch and drinks, whenever he had a free moment.

There were a few artificial poppies still on display in the grounds from the Blood Swept Land and Seas of Red public art installation that had been on display a few years ago. Charlotte paid extra attention to her surroundings as she viewed some of the remaining poppies on little wooden stands, as well as the real flowers in the grounds that she had taken a few pictures of, thinking about how romantic it would be, if she were to suddenly spot Charles, standing amongst the poppies and other flowers. She tried not to feel disappointed, when this didn't actually happen.

Quite a queue had formed outside Waterloo Block by the time Charlotte and Sidney arrived there to stand in line. They had arrived at the Tower of London quite early in the morning, but already it was getting busy, and so Charlotte and Sidney had to wait in line for quite a while.

Armed guards patrolled the perimeter of the Jewel House, where the Crown Jewels were kept, and Charlotte kept a close eye on them as she waited in line, checking to see if any of them were Charles. Unfortunately, she didn't recognise any of the guards.

While they waited in the queue, Charlotte asked Sidney about his apparent interest in history, suddenly curious to know.

"I once had an offer to study history at Cambridge," Sidney told Charlotte. "History was always an interest of mine, inspired by childhood visits to historic landmarks in London. I also spent many happy hours reading history books in my grandmother's library during visits to Willingden. I seriously considered accepting the offer to study at Cambridge…but I was involved in the setting up of the hotel by then, as well as rather intense training for my…current employment," he said, as vague as ever. "And so, I felt it wasn't the right time. It never has been the right time, what with my dedication to my other work over the past few years, but still my interest in the subject remains."

Charlotte considered just asking Sidney outright what he did for a living, but she could tell that this was something he was very private about, perhaps for safety reasons, and so she didn't want to push. She also suspected that perhaps he was waiting for the right time to tell her, and in the middle of a queue of tourists at a famous London landmark definitely didn't feel like the right time or place. She was glad however, to have learnt something new about Sidney Parker today. She wondered if he had any regrets about his decision not to study at Cambridge.

It wasn't long after that that they reached the front of the queue, and Charlotte and Sidney headed inside the Jewel House, where the world famous collection of jewels was housed, and Charlotte quickly became distracted by the Coronation Regalia and the Imperial State Crown at the heart of the collection.

There was no video or photography allowed in the Jewel House, and in a way, Charlotte was glad of this, as it meant that she could fully be in the moment while she observed the diamonds and the gemstones all around her.

Sidney had the air of someone who had seen the Crown Jewels many times before, but he seemed to be glad that Charlotte was happy to be here all the same.

When they finally headed back outside, Charlotte got into conversation with another group of tourists, while Sidney started talking to a group of the Yeomen Warders, and again it surprised Charlotte a little at how well they seemed to know Sidney. The Yeomen Warders and Sidney were standing a few feet away from Charlotte, and talking in low voices, but she could tell from their body language that Sidney was asking them questions, while the Warders were responding by shaking their heads, their expressions apologetic.

"It seems the Warders don't recognise Charles from his physical description," Sidney informed Charlotte, after Charlotte had finished speaking to the tourists. "I think it's unlikely that he works here…"

Charlotte felt a bit disappointed at having this confirmed, but she was glad she had visited the Tower anyway, and to have learnt so much about an historic landmark in the city. Besides, she now had an excuse to visit other landmarks in London, as her search for Charles continued.

"Are you on first name terms with the Yeomen Warders?" Charlotte asked Sidney with a smile as they started to head towards the exit a few minutes later, with Charlotte having decided that she had seen all she wanted to see of the Tower today, her tone light, teasing. "They seemed like good friends of yours..."

"Something like that," Sidney replied, looking like he was fighting off a smile of his own.

Ever the man of mystery...Charlotte thought to herself.

The Thames and Tower Bridge could be seen at the exit of the Tower of London, facing part of Traitor's Gate-a waterway entrance to the Tower.

"Would you like to go and get lunch somewhere?" Charlotte asked Sidney, after she had taken a picture of Traitor's Gate. She asked the question a little tentatively, as she wasn't sure if Sidney had been planning on spending anymore time with her today, after the planned visit to the Tower of London.

"If you'd like," Sidney responded with a nod, his expression unreadable.

Charlotte found herself feeling strangely triumphant that Sidney had just agreed to spend more time with her. His presence at the Tower of London had for some reason been a reassuring one, and Charlotte wanted that feeling to continue.

"Is there anywhere in particular you'd like to go for lunch?" Sidney after Charlotte, after a few moments of silence.

"I was thinking we could go to your friend's pub?" Charlotte suggested. "After all, you said it's not too far from here, and he seemed eager to see you, when you spoke to him on the phone…" Charlotte felt a bit guilty about taking up even more of Sidney's free time, when it was clear he was a busy man, and his friends also wanted to spend time with him, and she felt that this would be a compromise of sorts, if he was also going to be spending the rest of the afternoon with her. At least this way, he could see his friend, too.

"I'm sure Crowe will be thrilled," said Sidney in response.

The London pub owned by Sidney's friend was located in an old building on a quiet, cobble-stoned street overlooking the Thames.

The pub's exterior walls were a dark shade of red, and the pub's name, The Crown, was displayed in gold writing above the main doors and windows.

Sidney opened one of the pub's wooden doors and held it open so that Charlotte could enter the building first.

Charlotte felt a bit nervous as she walked into the pub. She felt very much like she was truly entering Sidney's world now-a world that had existed very separately from Charlotte's up until this week-and there was always a sense of trepidation that came with entering unfamiliar territory.

However, Charlotte felt more relaxed on seeing the pub's old-fashioned interior. There was something about the pub's charmingly traditional look, with its dark-panelled wooden beams, wooden floors covered by a couple of red rugs, its fireplace and pictures on the walls depicting various historical moments in London, including royal events such as weddings and coronations, which all added to the cozy atmosphere and helped Charlotte to feel more relaxed.

There weren't many customers at the pub this afternoon; three elderly men sat at a little table in a corner of the room drinking pints of beer, and a young couple sat at a table near the windows, eating fish and chips. Quintessentially British pub food…Charlotte thought with a smile.

There was a young man standing behind the bar, where there was a selection of real ales on draft. There seemed to be a twinkle in the man's eyes as he polished a few glasses, and a hint of a smirk on his face. Charlotte imagined that the man flirted with many of the single women who came into the bar.

The man looked up on hearing the door closing as Sidney followed Charlotte into the pub.

"Parker!" he called out jovially on seeing Sidney, the informality of his greeting suggesting that he knew Sidney well.

Charlotte recognised his voice from Sidney's phone call that she had overheard on the train, and the other phone call while she'd been at the Tower of London, and she knew that the man was Sidney's friend Crowe.

"Crowe," said Sidney in greeting, his tone of voice calmer than his friend's, although his relaxed tone also suggested that he and Crowe were good friends, before he started to introduce Charlotte and Crowe to one another.

Crowe's eyes suddenly focused on Charlotte, and there was a very curious expression on his face as he looked at her.

Sidney had barely said Charlotte's name when Crowe interrupted him: "Parker," he said, a proud look on his face as he looked at his friend again, and a definite mischievousness to his tone, "you didn't tell me that you were dating again!"

"Oh, no, we are not-" Charlotte stammered, trying not to blush, while Sidney said at the same time, looking a bit uncomfortable, "Charlotte and I are simply…working together…on a project in London this week."

Charlotte admired how Sidney could keep his composure and think up a reasonable response in the face of embarrassing comments.

"Are you sure there is nothing more to it?" Crowe asked with a smirk and raised eyebrow, addressing Charlotte instead of Sidney. He might have looked amused, but there a genuine hint of confusion in his tone, too. "You are exactly his type-"

"Enough, Crowe," said Sidney, cutting off his friend's embarrassing question in a firm tone, while Charlotte desperately fought off another blush.

Despite her embarrassment, Charlotte couldn't help feeling curious about Crowe's assumptions. There was such a certainty, in the way that he had said that Charlotte was exactly Sidney's type, and yet, Charlotte had never believed herself to be Sidney's type at all. Certainly, Sidney had never given Charlotte any indication that she was, and Charlotte knew that she looked nothing like the blonde woman who used to accompany Sidney on his visits to Willingden. She doubted that she had that woman's personality, either.

She wondered if Crowe had simply been teasing his friend, saying something that was highly unlikely just to get a rise out of him…and then she told herself that she shouldn't even care at all, whether she was Sidney's type or not. She was in London to find Charles, after all.

Crowe seemed to know from Sidney's tone not to push it any further with his comments about Charlotte and Sidney potentially dating, but there was still a twinkle of amusement in his eyes as he invited Sidney and Charlotte to sit down on a couple of chairs at the bar.

Crowe definitely seemed to have taken the unspoken hint that it was time to change the subject, as he started to talk about the food available on the menu and offered them both a drink. Charlotte opted for a non-alcoholic drink-a delicious-looking grapefruit juice that she was sure would quench her thirst on a warm day. Sidney seemed about to refuse Crowe's offer of a pint of beer (which, judging by the almost automatic way that Crowe went to do this, Charlotte assumed that Sidney frequently came to the pub to drink beer with his friends), telling Crowe that he and Charlotte might still have some work to do during the afternoon, but Charlotte told him that it would be fine for him to have one drink-Sidney did not have to drive anywhere today, after all, as he had a driver, and they both had the option to take the train, and Sidney was giving up his free time to help Charlotte today after all; she didn't see a problem with him taking some time to enjoy a drink with his friend.

Crowe smirked as he poured Sidney a drink.

Crowe insisted that Sidney and Charlotte eat lunch at the pub for free, even though both Sidney and Charlotte told him that they would be happy to pay.

Crowe wouldn't hear of it however, saying that Sidney had helped him a lot with the purchasing and opening of the pub, and he said that he was always happy to help people who helped him. "And any friend of Sidney's is a friend of mine!" he told Charlotte.

Charlotte and Sidney remained sitting at the bar to eat their food, as Charlotte could tell that Sidney wanted to spend some time talking to his friend, and she knew that this would be easier if they were sitting close to him at the bar, rather than at one of the tables.

As they got comfortable on the bar stools, Crowe served them mini samples of a variety of the traditional pub food available on the menu, all of it delicious.

Sidney and Crowe exchanged plenty of jokes and banter as Crowe served the occasional drink to other customers and cleared a couple of tables, with both giving as good as they got, and their exchanges were fascinating to listen to. Both seemed to know just how far they could push things with each other in terms of their jokes and banter before they backed off, and it was clear that despite their jokes and playful insults, they were genuinely interested in what the other had been up to.

The pub had emptied out by the time Charlotte and Sidney were finishing their lunch, and Crowe had a bit more time to talk to them, asking them both about their day so far, and looking very interested in their visit to the Tower of London, and seemingly knowing a lot about its history. Charlotte suspected that Crowe had hidden depths, behind his jokes and smirks.

Charlotte asked Crowe a few questions about his work at the pub, and he talked passionately about his initial purchase of the establishment, as well as his day to day work, such as deciding on new menus and drinks offers; social media promotion; talking to the tourists who visited about London's history and the interesting places to see in the city; sharing conversations with the pub's regulars and with those who perhaps didn't have many other people in their lives to talk to during the day, hoping to be a friendly face and an understanding ear for locals, in a city that wasn't always friendly, or kind.

As Charlotte and Crowe were talking, they were joined by another of Sidney and Crowe's friends…

"Babbers!" Crowe called out enthusiastically, looking up from where he was standing by the bar when the door opened and a man who looked to be about Sidney's age walked into the room.

'Babbers' greeted both Crowe and Sidney with equal enthusiasm before he introduced himself to Charlotte with a warm smile and a confident handshake, explaining that he was a friend of Sidney and Crowe's. Both Sidney and Crowe addressed him by his surname, Babington. Charlotte felt that she recognised the man's surname from somewhere, but she wasn't sure where.

Like Crowe, Babington looked at Charlotte with obvious curiosity when Sidney introduced her, but unlike Crowe, he seemed to possess the tact required to not make pointed comments or suggestions as to why Charlotte and Sidney might be spending time together.

Babington sat near to Sidney and Charlotte on one of the bar stools. He told Charlotte that he was on his lunch break, and he said that he frequently visited his friend at the pub during the week, as it was just around the corner from where he worked.

When Charlotte asked him about his work, Babington explained that he worked as a lawyer. He told her that he'd initially had an interest in politics, and that his father was a member of the House of Lords-Charlotte had thought that his surname sounded familiar, and that explained it-but he had later discovered that the pursuit of justice in the courtroom was where his passion truly resided.

After Babington had talked a bit more about his work, Charlotte watched with interest as Sidney, Crowe and Babington conversed, sharing anecdotes about their work and their social lives. Babington talked about the city's political circles and events, as well as a few of the trials that he had recently been preparing paperwork for. Crowe talked about the recent karaoke and quiz nights at the pub that had been attended by tourists from all over the world, while Sidney talked about a few of the fancy parties that he had attended in the city over recent months. Charlotte noticed that unlike his friends, Sidney didn't really go into detail about his work, apart from mentioning a few recent meetings and trips abroad as part of his job (by the sound of it, he had travelled on a private jet several times this year).

Despite the banter and gentle mockery that was a part of their conversation, it was clear that the three men cared about each other and had been friends for a long time. Charlotte also sensed that their revelry was even more restrained than it normally was, due to her presence.

Most of Charlotte's friends and acquaintances lived in Willingden, or had grown up there, and many of them were young women, like her. It was therefore somewhat fascinating to Charlotte, to be socialising with these men, who had seen much of the world beyond Willingden, and could talk about topics that were not typical of the daily conversations that Charlotte so often heard in the village.

It was definitely a new and interesting experience for Charlotte, to be in a big city, at an establishment that she had never visited before, where she was socialising with people who she would not normally have spent time with. All of it felt far removed from her life in Willingden, but not in a bad way.

Not to mention that it was…interesting to her, getting to see Sidney Parker relaxed and unguarded, dressed casually and actually smiling as he drank a pint of beer with his friends. He no longer seemed like the stern, unapproachable man who had so often stormed through the streets of Willingden.

The men also made an effort to include Charlotte in their conversation, asking about her job running the bookshop, and her life in Willingden. Crowe and Babington seemed rather surprised that Charlotte talked so highly of Lady Denham, Sidney's grandmother, as it seemed they had always found her to be rather intimidating, every time they visited Willingden, and a bit terrifying.

They asked Charlotte a bit more about her visit to London. Charlotte alluded to the fact that she would be visiting a few of London's landmarks this week, as part of a 'project' she was completing, but she didn't go into further detail. She wasn't sure that she was ready yet, for too many people to know the details of why she was in the city. It felt different, posting about it on social media, than it did to talk about her search for Charles out loud, with people she didn't know very well.

It wasn't long before the conversation turned to the recent ball in Willingden, as Crowe and Babington knew that Sidney had attended.

"I suppose Sidney sulked and complained about being there for the entire evening?" Crowe asked Charlotte, on discovering that she had been at the ball, too, while Babington laughed at his friend's question.

"Well, maybe not the entire evening," Charlotte replied with a smile, "but definitely a significant part of it."

Charlotte wasn't sure if she had completely forgiven Sidney yet, for his less-than-pleasant behaviour at the ball, even though he had been very helpful, since the start of her journey to London.

Crowe and Babington laughed delightedly at Charlotte's response, while Sidney rolled his eyes in his typical fashion, but there was also a hint of a smile from him, too.

"And how was Esther?" Babington asked Sidney, sounding rather tentative. "I hope she managed to find some enjoyment in the evening, even though she has never been a fan of such events…"

"It turned out that Edward's unexpected arrival at the ball mostly ruined the evening for her," said Sidney with a roll of his eyes. "It seems he found a way to sneak in before seemingly vanishing into the night. As you know from previous events, it was not the first time that he has ruined an evening for her."

"Ah, Esther," said Babington, with a dreamy-sounding sigh, and a far-off look on his face as he placed his hand over his heart, "if only she could see that there are good men out there…"

"Good men who just happen to be you, you mean?" Sidney asked Babington with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, not necessarily," said Babington, "but if the shoe fits…" he added with a shrug, while Crowe laughed, and Sidney rolled his eyes again.

"How is your pursuit of Esther going, Babbers?" Crowe asked Babington with a raised eyebrow, his expression sceptical.

"Rather well," said Babington, without much confidence in his words, "I believe she is at least vaguely aware of my existence now…"

This was met by more laughter from Crowe, and a smirk from Sidney.

It wasn't long after that the drinks were finished, and Babington was preparing to return to work soon, while a few new customers were starting to arrive at the pub, and it was clear that Crowe would soon be occupied.

"So, Charlotte, which of London's landmarks are you planning on visiting next?" Babington asked her.

"I was thinking of heading to Buckingham Palace this afternoon," said Charlotte. "I don't think it's too far to travel to from here…" It had been quite a busy morning, and Charlotte did not necessarily need to spend hours at Buckingham Palace this afternoon. If she could just catch a glimpse of the guards outside and see if Charles was there amongst them. Perhaps she could even return a couple of times during the week, if she did not see Charles there today, just to be sure if he worked there or not. Besides, she also knew now that the shop where Charles had purchased the book he wrote poetry in wasn't far from Buckingham Palace. Perhaps she could go there today, too…

"Well, I'm sure Sidney will be only too happy to accompany you," Babington said confidently, exchanging a quick glance with Crowe, who nodded in agreement.

"Oh, Sidney does not have to…" Charlotte began, feeling a bit embarrassed that Sidney's friends were effectively putting him on the spot.

She knew that Sidney had a day off today, but still, she didn't want him to feel obliged to spend the rest of the day with her. He had already given up a lot of time for Charlotte since she had started this journey, and he had already been so helpful this morning, and Charlotte was sure he must have a lot to do, after returning to the city from Willingden…

"Nonsense!" said Babington, his eyes twinkling with obvious amusement. "Sidney is an expert on all things Buckingham Palace, and I'm sure his expertise with be useful to you."

"Besides," Crowe added, "it is very important that you keep Sidney occupied while you are here, now that you have started this 'project' together, or he will be unable to resist returning to his usual work in the city, where he is already working far too hard, offering to do everyone's jobs for them, as well as his own, or he will run all over the city, playing the hero and looking for someone to rescue…"

Sidney directed a few sarcastic comments to his friends in response, insisting that they had a tendency to exaggerate, but he also said quickly to Charlotte, "I'd be happy to accompany you, should you require any assistance this afternoon, if that is what you want?"

Charlotte nodded, starting to thank him (she would be grateful for his expertise, if he really did know a lot about Buckingham Palace), but she was quickly interrupted by Babington: "Well, that's settled, then!" he declared with a grin, looking rather smug, almost as though a plan he had made had just come together.

Charlotte sensed that there was some sort of hidden agenda behind Babington and Crowe's motivations to encourage Charlotte and Sidney to spend more time together. Charlotte tried not to think too much about what this agenda might be.

Sidney insisted on paying for all the drinks, and Charlotte and Sidney thanked Crowe for their lunch. With that, they started to head out of the pub.

Charlotte glanced over her shoulder just before she walked out the door, and she noticed that Crowe and Babington were talking rapidly to one another with grins on their faces, their voices barely more than a whisper.

Charlotte had no doubt that she and Sidney were the main topic of their conversation.

Trying not to think about exactly what they could be saying to each other, Charlotte headed outside to join Sidney, who had started to make plans for the two of them to travel to Charlotte's next destination on her journey to find Charles-Buckingham Palace.

Chapter Text

After they left Crowe's pub, Charlotte and Sidney decided to take the Tube to St James's Park, the nearest Underground train station to Buckingham Palace.

Charlotte was reminded as she travelled to the station that she also wished to visit St James's Palace while she was in London, as Sidney had explained that several of the King's Guards were also stationed there, one of whom could be Charles. She decided to try to visit there tomorrow.

Charlotte and Sidney didn't talk much as they walked the short distance from the London Underground station to Buckingham Palace, as Sidney received several work-related phone calls along the way, one of which seemed to be focused on a video call that Sidney was supposed to have with his boss later in the evening-from the sound of it, Sidney's boss was a very important man. Sidney also sent a few work emails on his phone, which he had been composing while on the train. He seemed to watch Charlotte almost protectively however as he guided her towards the famous royal residence, apparently still very much aware of Charlotte's presence and refusing to get fully distracted by his work calls, which would have been all too easy for most businessmen.

Sidney seemed to know exactly where he was going, and so it was easy for Charlotte to follow him. Charlotte had a feeling that Sidney had walked this route many times before. They walked along the Mall, the main road that led to Buckingham Palace, where, Sidney explained, royal processions took place, as well as the changing of the guard ceremony.

Sidney walked with an air of authority, and groups of people parted and moved aside to let him past. Charlotte had always felt confident in her ability to navigate her day to day life independently, as well as her ability to travel alone, but, for some reason, she felt much safer with Sidney Parker by her side, like he really would protect or defend her if they were met with some sort of threat: she felt like she didn't have to worry about all the little details when she was travelling through a busy city with Sidney, as he seemed to take on these worries for her.

Despite her confused feelings about feeling calmer in Sidney Parker's presence, Charlotte was glad that she could simply relax a little and enjoy her surroundings with Sidney by her side, and she was definitely a little bit awestruck as they arrived at the gates at the East Front of Buckingham Palace and Charlotte looked up at what had to be one of the most famous buildings in the world.

Through the gate, Charlotte could see a few of the King's Guards, all of them wearing jackets that were the same shade of red as the one that Charles had worn at Lady Denham's ball. Charlotte observed the Guards from where she was standing outside the gate to see if any of them were Charles…it wasn't long before she realised that they weren't, as none of them looked anything like him. Charlotte tried to ignore the wave of disappointment that washed over her at yet another hint that she probably wouldn't be reuniting with Charles today, trying to tell herself that there was still a chance she might see him, perhaps when these guards finished their shift and new guards arrived to take over their duties. Besides, she could always return to Buckingham Palace later in the week.

Charlotte would have been mostly content to stay here outside the gates, observing Buckingham Palace from a bit of a distance, even though the area was rather busy, and she was surrounded by other tourists, and she probably would have had that strange feeling that she was missing out on something by not going inside the gates. She also knew from a practical point of view, and from her online research, that it was very difficult to get tickets to go inside Buckingham Palace-tickets often had to be purchased months in advance, as they were in high demand, and there were often long queues at the ticket office. Not to mention that the palace was only open to visitors for a few months a year.

Sidney, however, seemed to have other ideas, as, with the confident air of someone who had done this many times before, he gestured for Charlotte to follow him towards the ticket office to the left of the public entrance at Buckingham Gate, where he and a few of the men who worked there spoke in hushed voices for a few minutes, while Charlotte waited patiently, standing a few feet away from them, curious as to what they might be talking about.

It wasn't long before Sidney finished his conversation and walked over to Charlotte again: "We can go inside for a tour, if you'd like?" he said, while Charlotte blinked in surprise a few times, almost in a state of disbelief that Sidney had somehow convinced the staff who worked here to let the two of them in for a tour at such short notice.

Sidney could work here, too…Charlotte's inner voice reminded her. It would certainly make sense, given how easily he had been granted access to the palace.

"Perhaps you will find Charles while you are here," Sidney added. "I can ask a few people inside if they have heard of him?"

However unusual it seemed that Sidney Parker had somehow been given permission to enter Buckingham Palace with Charlotte, Charlotte was not about to turn down such a rare, wonderful opportunity, and so she nodded in agreement before she walked through the gates of the ticket booth with Sidney by her side.

Charlotte, Sidney and all the other visitors to the palace had to pass through an airport-style security check before they were granted entry to the palace itself. Luckily, this didn't take too long, and the two of them were soon walking down a few corridors that led the way to the first part of Buckingham Palace. One of the corridors looked really pretty, with dark green walls and white ceilings, and white and gold lamps hanging from it.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the Grand Entrance, the place where officially invited guests entered Buckingham Palace.

Charlotte span around in a slow circle to take it all in, still in awe that she was actually here. As she span around, the room seemed to be a blur of crimson, gold and white, with the room's red, white and gold walls, and the gold patterns on the walls and ceiling.

There were a few people milling about the Entrance Hall, including several members of staff dressed in smart uniforms. One of the staff members-a woman who appeared to be in her mid-fifties, with her dark hair tied up neatly in a bun and dressed smartly in a navy-blue skirt, jacket and high heels-seemed to recognise Sidney instantly, as she made a beeline for him as soon as she saw him.

"Sidney Parker," she said as she approached, a kindness to her tone, behind the hint of firmness, along with a hint of surprise, "I didn't expect to see you back here so soon…"

"Well, it turns out that duty requires it today, Gretel," said Sidney in reply, his formal, slightly guarded tone suggesting that he didn't want to go into detail right now about his previous visits to Buckingham Palace, or indeed his current one.

The woman, Gretel, nodded, but she was looking right at Charlotte, seemingly more interested in who Sidney was with, rather than why he was here.

"Charlotte," said Sidney, as he started to introduce the two women, "Gretel has worked as a guest assistant here for many years now. She is excellent at her job. Gretel, Charlotte is-"

"Oh," said Gretel with a raised eyebrow and a hint of a smile, "have you made an honest man out of Sidney Parker?" she asked Charlotte.

"Certainly not," Charlotte said hurriedly, fighting off a blush. She was already starting to feel embarrassed by all the assumptions that had been made about her and Sidney over the past few days, and she was also feeling very aware that several other staff members had started to move closer to stare at her and Sidney.

She did not particularly wish to be the subject of such scrutiny, especially not when standing in the middle of a room in Buckingham Palace, of all places; not when she knew that the assumption that was being made was incorrect. After all, Charlotte had decided to come to London to find Charles, and Sidney Parker saw her as little more than a colleague who he was trying to help in a professional capacity in order to repay some of his imagined karmic debts.

It wasn't as though Charlotte had given her reply with any real panic, or urgency, or anger, but she had replied fast enough-more out of embarrassment than anything else-for it to be easily interpreted that she was eager to deny what had just been insinuated, and the staff members in the room seemed to know it, because a few of them started to smirk.

"Well, it seems you have your answer, Gretel," Sidney said in response.

For a second, Charlotte thought that she heard something like disappointment in Sidney's tone, but then she told herself that she was only imagining it.

A few of the younger men in the room continued to regard Sidney with amused expressions on their faces, and raised eyebrows. Charlotte suspected that they were not used to women appearing to be uninterested romantically in Sidney Parker.

She also sensed that Sidney was generally guarded when he was around Gretel, because she was a bit of a gossip.

Charlotte suspected that the members of staff in this room knew Sidney well, somehow, although she wasn't sure how, exactly, or in what capacity. She felt that if it was as something as simple as Sidney working on their team at Buckingham Palace, or him being their manager, then Sidney would have just told her so already. It was clear it was more complicated than that. Besides, Gretel's words to Sidney when she had greeted him a couple of minutes ago suggested that Sidney was not at Buckingham Palace all the time; it seemed that this was not his regular place of work, whatever it was he did for a living.

Either way, Charlotte knew that this team of staff would be teasing Sidney about this exchange for a while; during his next few visits to the palace, at least.

Gretel seemed to have realised that she had perhaps put her foot in it, because she became more business-like again, pointing towards the Grand Staircase and directing Charlotte and Sidney to where they should go next, before telling Charlotte that it was nice to meet her, and saying that she would probably see her again soon, as she was going to be heading upstairs herself in a couple of minutes, and then she hurried off to assist a few of the other visitors, her team of staff also scattering to offer assistance to others.

Sidney seemed to be trying not to roll his eyes at Gretel and the other's retreating backs, the look on his face suggesting that he was quizzed about his personal life or gossiped about on a regular basis, but he didn't comment further on the exchange. He simply led Charlotte towards the Grand Staircase, which had a wooden banister with ornate gold patterns on it, and portraits on the walls above it.

As they walked up the stairs, Sidney talked to Charlotte about the important people who had also walked up these stairs over the years, including former kings and queens, presidents and heads of state, and Charlotte couldn't help feeling awestruck all over again that she was really here.

She was reminded all over again of the years of history within the walls of Buckingham Palace when they arrived at the top of the stairs, where there were portraits of former monarchs of the country displayed on the walls.

Charlotte and Sidney followed other visitors into the Green Drawing Room (apparently named due to its green walls), and Charlotte stared in fascination at its lavish paintings, ornate furniture, decorative antiques and crystal chandeliers. Sidney explained that this room was used as a waiting room before meeting the monarch.

Then they headed into the room next door-the Throne Room, where Sidney explained that any function requiring the King to wear a crown upon his head happened here, and that this had traditionally been the room where people were knighted. Charlotte realised that she didn't even need a tour guide when Sidney was around, as, like with the Tower of London, he seemed to know a lot about Buckingham Palace, too. She wondered if it really was just his interest in history that made him so knowledgeable about these landmarks.

As Charlotte took in every detail of the room-the thrones with a large red curtain behind them, the dark red carpet, the large mirrors on the walls, the large golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and the ceiling itself with beautiful white and gold details, Charlotte could almost imagine that she was in a fairytale of her own-like a princess in a magical castle-although notably without a 'true love' or a prince by her side, she couldn't help thinking to herself, although she tried not to let that thought ruin the moment. She supposed it was a bit of a reach anyway, to imagine that this place could really have much resemblance to a fairytale, but at the very least, Charlotte felt moved to be surrounded by so much history.

After Charlotte had had enough time to look around the Throne Room, she and Sidney headed into the next few rooms together, and Charlotte continued to be enthralled by the high ceilings, chandeliers, candelabras and priceless portraits and antiques in many of the rooms, including the Picture Gallery, which housed the royal collection of art, and had some of the most famous paintings in the world displayed on the walls. The room was very beautiful, with its arched ceiling full of windows held up by pillars.

Photography was forbidden in the state rooms, and in a way, Charlotte was glad of this, as it meant she could truly appreciate her surroundings without distractions.

As they walked from room to room, Sidney had an air of knowing exactly where he was going, and Charlotte felt comfortable following him.

Charlotte also noticed that there was something very professional, and rather serious, about Sidney Parker's stance here, within the walls of Buckingham Palace-he was nowhere near as relaxed as he had just been at his friend's pub, and again Charlotte suspected that this palace was a place of work for him, rather than a tourist attraction that he enjoyed visiting during his time off, although she had no idea what he might do as a job here, or if he even worked here at all. At the very least, he knew a lot about the paintings and the antiques on display, and his professional air did not seem to affect his willingness to engage in conversation with Charlotte.

They kept walking further, until they arrived in the East Gallery, which had gold lights on the walls. A small collection of royal art was housed in this room, including paintings of Queen Victoria, as well as various antiques that were on display.

Charlotte found herself getting distracted from her search for Charles due to her luxurious surroundings, but still she tried to keep an eye out for him as she walked from room to room, in the unlikely event that he also happened to be walking around Buckingham Palace today.

Next, they headed into the Ball Supper Room, a rectangular room with white walls, gold borders and large, golden doors all around the room, where, Sidney explained, this was where the King traditionally dined with members of his family.

And then they were in the Grand Ballroom-the largest and grandest room in Buckingham Palace, according to a few of the other visitors in the room who Charlotte and Sidney briefly got into conversation with. The ballroom, with its high ceiling with gold patterns on, and many lamps hanging from the ceilings, as well as the long, rectangular tables with white tablecloths which had been set up in the room, had traditionally been for dancing and parties, but according to Sidney, the room was now used more to entertain dignitaries from around the world.

And yet, Charlotte could still imagine being a guest at a fancy ball in this very room. She just wished she had a handsome prince of her own who wanted to dance with her in ballrooms, and she tried to fight off a strange feeling of loneliness. She reminded herself that Charles really had been eager to dance with her at the ball in Willingden, where he had looked and acted a lot like a prince, even though that night was now starting to strangely feel like a dream, what with everything that had happened since, but she told herself that Charles would probably want to dance with her again, as soon as they were reunited. After all, it was Charles who she wanted to be dancing with, wasn't it?

Sidney Parker on the other hand, although looking undeniably handsome, had the air of someone who had seen this room many times before and was therefore not particularly taken with it, but was still able to appreciate Charlotte's admiration of her surroundings all the same. He even managed a sort of smile as he watched Charlotte walking slowly around the room, no doubt with a look of wonder on her face as she tried to take it all in, although Charlotte did suspect that Sidney would probably be more than a little reluctant, if she were to suddenly ask him to dance in the middle of the Grand Ballroom.

Eventually, Charlotte finished looking around the room, and she allowed Sidney to lead her into the State Dining Room, where she saw that there was white and red and gold everywhere, including the high ceiling, that had its own unique detail, along with gold chandeliers, which provided a contrast to the red walls. There were large mirrors on the walls, and a golden clock on display in the room. As with all the other rooms, Charlotte took her time walking around, appreciating it and taking it all in, getting into conversation along the way with a few of the other tourists in the room who were eager to talk about their experiences of visiting the palace, and of visiting London in general.

As she talked to the tourists, Charlotte noticed that Sidney had stepped out into the nearest hallway, perhaps intending to take a bit of a break, where he seemed to have run into Gretel again, as well as a few other members of staff, who all seemed to be eager to talk to him as they had gathered around him.

Unable to resist hearing what they had to say to him, Charlotte excused herself from her conversation and discreetly moved a bit closer to the open door, feeling a bit guilty about trying to eavesdrop, but also overcome with curiosity about what might be being said…Sidney Parker was still a mystery to her, after all, and she wanted to learn more about him.

"Well, how was I supposed to know that there wasn't something romantic between you?" Gretel was asking Sidney with a sigh.

Oh…Charlotte thought, with something that felt strangely like disappointment, even though she didn't know why she felt that way, so it seemed that Sidney was definitely not impressed with the assumptions that had been made by his possible work colleagues about Charlotte and Sidney's non-existent relationship, and now he was telling his colleagues so.

"There was something in the way you looked at her," Gretel continued, her tone insistent, "when you introduced her, and I assumed…"

As much as she tried, Charlotte couldn't hear the rest of what Gretel had to say, as her words were drowned out by the arrival of more tourists in the room who were all talking rather loudly, but Charlotte had already started to blush. This was the second time today that it had been assumed that there was something between Sidney and Charlotte, and probably the third or fourth time since Charlotte's adventure had started. She wondered what it was that people were seeing to cause them to have such assumptions, because Charlotte had never once believed that Sidney Parker could feel that way about her. More than that, she had often assumed that Sidney disliked her.

Did he really look at her in a way that made others believe he had feelings for her?

And why did it matter so much to Charlotte now?

Charlotte's confused thoughts were interrupted when she heard Sidney speaking again: "I can assure you that we are here entirely for professional reasons," he started to say, his tone firm, authoritative. "Not that it is anyone's business-"

"Bet you wish there was more to it than that though, hey?" Charlotte heard one of the younger men ask Sidney with a grin on his face, which caused another young man who was standing next to him to start laughing.

Sidney fixed the two of them with a glare, and they both quickly attempted to hide their amusement and look serious again. It was clear that Sidney had authority here, whatever his role was.

Trying not to think too hard about whether there had been any actual truth to what the man had just said-about Sidney possibly wishing that there was 'more to it'-Charlotte then overheard Sidney asking the group of staff gathered around him whether they knew of a man matching Charles's description who might be working at the palace. "I was planning on asking you all about this earlier, but we were interrupted by...inappropriate questions," he added, in a tone of exasperation.

Charlotte noticed that the group all shook their heads in response to Sidney's question about Charles, and she tried not to feel too disheartened.

She then tried her best to subtly move away from the door as Sidney returned to the room. He explained to her, after he'd walked over to where she was standing, what she had already overheard-that he had been talking to several members of staff out in the hallway, none of whom seemed to think that there was anyone matching Charles's description working at the palace, although Sidney did not confirm whether the people he had just been speaking to really were colleagues of his, and Charlotte noticed that Sidney left out the first part of the conversation he'd had, in what seemed like a deliberate omission. Sidney also added, perhaps on seeing the obvious disappointment written all over Charlotte's face, that there was no reason to give up hope of finding Charles; that they could still keep looking as they walked around Buckingham Palace, just to double check, although Charlotte felt that he was just trying to be optimistic for her sake, in a situation that seemed rather hopeless.

Still, Charlotte did not let her fleeting disappointment ruin her enjoyment of the final part of the tour, and she walked with Sidney into the next room-the Blue Drawing Room, apparently named due to its blue walls, which was used to entertain dignitaries, where she stared in fascination at all the crystal, gold and marble on display, before she headed into the Music Room at the end of the Blue Drawing Room, which was used for the christenings of royal babies, and had a beautiful grand piano on display. Charlotte looked up in admiration at the domed golden ceiling, which was held up by dark blue and gold pillars and had a large crystal chandelier hanging from it.

And then it was on to the White Drawing Room, a room decked out in white and gold, where the King usually met with world leaders, or the monarchs of other countries, complete with a golden piano, priceless antiques, a wooden bureau, and a portrait of Queen Victoria on the wall.

Finally, Charlotte and Sidney headed back downstairs, through the Marble Hall that was full of marble statues, and into the Bow Room, which according to Sidney was traditionally used as an indoor meeting place for those attending functions at the palace.

This was where the tour of the inside of the palace ended. Outside, in the gardens, it was possible to have afternoon tea at the tables that had been set up there, or to purchase drinks such as tea and coffee, but there was already a long queue of people waiting to buy drinks, drinks which were expensive to buy, and the gardens in general looked very busy, with groups of visitors waiting to take a separate tour of the gardens which they had paid extra for, and so Charlotte and Sidney decided that they should leave Buckingham Palace and head back outside to purchase drinks elsewhere.

Charlotte and Sidney ended up sitting on the steps leading up to the Victoria Memorial outside the entrance to Buckingham Palace, close to the main gates at the East front of the palace.

Through the gates, Charlotte had a good view of the King's Guards, who were stationed outside the palace. She noticed that the guards had changed from when she had first arrived, with new guards no doubt having arrived when she'd been inside touring the palace to start their shift, but still, none of the new guards were Charles. Still, Charlotte kept glancing at the guards through the gates every now and then as she sat next to Sidney on the steps and took sips from her cup of coffee in a takeout cup that Sidney had insisted on buying for her from a nearby vendor.

The silence was a companionable one as Sidney drank from his own cup of coffee, while Charlotte sent several enthusiastic messages to Alison to let her know that she had just toured Buckingham Palace!, because she just had to tell someone and share her excitement, as well as sending her sister a few photos that she had taken outside Buckingham Palace.

Meanwhile, Sidney was also sending a few messages of his own on his phone, and he seemed to be fending off phone calls from his friends, Babington and Crowe, telling them both sternly that he would talk to them later. Charlotte could guess at the reason why they were calling him, and what they wanted to talk to him about, after Sidney had shown up unexpectedly at Crowe's pub with her today, and she didn't blame Sidney for not wanting to get into conversation with the two men while Charlotte was sitting right there.

When they had finished answering their messages, Charlotte and Sidney talked for a little while about Charlotte's experience of visiting Buckingham Palace for the first time, with Charlotte naming the Throne Room and the Ballroom as being among her favourite rooms. Sidney also told her about other places that could be visited as part of various tour packages, including tours of the Royal Mews, to see the royal family's carriages; the Garden Highlights Tour; the Changing of the Guard; and of course, there was the nearby St James's Park, which could be visited for free. Charlotte knew that all these experiences would be interesting ones, but she also felt that her time in London was a bit limited this week, what with her focus supposed to be on finding Charles. She hoped however that she would be lucky enough to return to London one day to tour the other parts of Buckingham Palace, although she would like to visit St James's Park while she was here, and this would also give her an excuse to return to the outside of Buckingham Palace on another day this week to see if Charles was there on guard duty.

Now that they were back outside, Charlotte noticed that Sidney looked more relaxed, less guarded again. Inside Buckingham Palace, he had seemed more professional; here, outside, he seemed more inclined to smile and share casual conversations. Charlotte could almost pretend that the two of them were friends…or friendly with each other, at least.

"Is there anywhere else you would like to visit today?" Sidney asked her.

Charlotte looked at Sidney, and she was almost certain that she detected a hint of hopefulness in his eyes-perhaps he really did enjoy spending time with her after all. Or, perhaps more accurately, Charlotte thought to herself, he enjoyed having a distraction from his busy work schedule.

"Well," Charlotte admitted, "I was thinking of going to the bookshop where I believe Charles purchased his poetry book. It's not far from here, is it?" she asked as she pulled up a picture on her phone that she had taken of Charles's notebook and zoomed in on the bookshop's logo printed on the back of the book. "It's not as though I believe I will magically run into him there this afternoon, or anything," she added hurriedly, on noticing that Sidney seemed to be struggling to resist rolling his eyes, "I know it's unlikely that the two of us will just happen to be in the bookshop at the same time, but I think I would still like to see the bookshop, all the same. Maybe there will be something interesting to be found there…"

"No…it's not…far," Sidney admitted, sounding a bit hesitant, a bit doubtful about what Charlotte had just said. Perhaps he did not want her to be disappointed all over again if she didn't run into Charles at the bookshop. "We could walk there from here, if you'd like," he added.

Charlotte agreed to this proposed plan, again feeling strangely relieved that Sidney had just agreed to go with her, despite his apparent lack of enthusiasm for visiting the bookshop. It was better than going there alone, after all.

Charlotte and Sidney finished their coffees, and they were just about to stand up to head to the nearby recycle bin to put their used coffee cups in before beginning the next part of their journey, when they heard the unmistakeable sound of a couple of tourists spontaneously breaking into a rendition of the National Anthem.

Charlotte glanced over her shoulder to see that the tourists who had started singing the National Anthem were standing only a few feet behind her on the stone steps, where a small crowd of people were now watching them with interest.

With amused looks on their faces, another group of people standing nearby started to join in with the famous song, and it wasn't long before the words of the song travelled through the small crowd, with many others starting to join in, and others taking out their phones to film the moment. Those who had been sitting down got to their feet, the gesture almost an automatic one for many in the crowd, and a dutiful one for others.

Charlotte started to stand up, too, wanting to be a part of this. As she got to her feet, she heard Sidney mumbling to himself and doing his trying-not-to-roll-his-eyes look, in what seemed to be typical Sidney Parker fashion.

"If I had a pound coin for every single time I heard a spontaneous rendition of this song, I could probably take early retirement," Charlotte heard him say, with obvious sarcasm in his voice. And yet, he was sort of smiling, too, definitely looking rather amused by this situation, and he got dutifully to his feet, too, his posture as he stood suggesting that he had done this many times before.

Charlotte wondered where Sidney was spending his time, to be constantly hearing renditions of this song, as she rarely heard spontaneous renditions of the National Anthem in Willingden.

Charlotte couldn't help smiling fondly as the crowd continued to sing the National Anthem. This was one of those happy, feel-good moments that mostly seemed to happen in books or films, or as part of the videos that went viral on social media, but those moments rarely seemed to happen in the day-to-day reality of Charlotte's ordinary life. Regardless of people's personal thoughts on the monarchy, Charlotte still felt like it was a beautiful, patriotic moment to experience, all the same.

As the crowd sang the final notes of God Save the King in unison, Charlotte shared a smile with Sidney. It was as though the two of them were in on some sort of secret together, although Charlotte was unsure what that secret was. Perhaps they were just bonding over sharing a special, unique moment. Regardless of what it was, Charlotte was simply happy to be here, experiencing this moment with Sidney Parker, as much as this idea would have surprised and shocked her only a couple of weeks ago.

It wasn't long before Charlotte and Sidney began their journey to the bookshop where Charlotte believed Charles had purchased the book he wrote poetry in from.

Once they'd got through the crowds around Buckingham Palace, it didn't take them long to walk to the high street nearby, which was lined with shops selling a variety of products.

The street was much busier and livelier than the little street of shops in Willingden, but Charlotte spotted the bookshop almost instantly, positioned almost exactly in the middle of the row of shops on one side of the high street.

Charlotte started to take quicker steps towards the bookshop, eager to see inside it, and Sidney Parker fell into step beside her. She knew that Sidney could outrun her at a moment's notice if he chose to do so, but she was glad that he kept to her pace.

Charlotte stopped outside the bookshop, staring up in wonder at the bookshop's name, which was displayed in beautiful letters on a wooden sign above the door.

Once Upon a Time…the letters on the sign spelled out.

Charlotte also took a moment to admire the window displays, with the beautiful stacks of books decorated with various fairytale-themed ornaments, and even fairy lights.

And then, taking a deep breath in anticipation, Charlotte walked through the shop's wooden door that had been painted a dark shade of blue, and she stepped into the bookshop, with Sidney following her.

Charlotte heard the creak of the wooden floor the moment she stepped inside. She looked from the wooden floors, which were partially covered by plush carpet, all the way up to the vaulted ceiling, trying to take everything in.

There was an unmistakeable scent of books, which was hardly surprising, as the two-storey bookshop was filled with rows and stacks of books, many of which were displayed on intricate wooden bookshelves on both floors of the shop. There were even wooden stepladders that allowed staff to step up to the higher shelves to retrieve books. Charlotte was reminded of the library in the Beast's castle in Beauty and the Beast, a film that Charlotte often enjoyed watching with her sister.

There were also a few chintz armchairs among the bookshelves, all of which looked very comfortable to sit in while reading one of the many books available in the shop.

There was a wooden notice board on the wall by the shop door, where information had been displayed about various upcoming talks, Q and As and poetry readings by well-known authors that were going to be taking place soon at the bookshop, as well as information about the coffee and cake shop next door, which was apparently linked to the bookshop, according to the information on the noticeboard.

A winding wooden staircase led up to the shop's upper floor, and there were a few books stacked up the stairs.

"Is there something magical about the place, perhaps?" Sidney Parker asked Charlotte from where he was standing next to her with a raised eyebrow and an almost smile as he looked right at Charlotte, apparently noticing the look of wonder on Charlotte's face.

"Something like that…" Charlotte admitted, with a smile of her own.

The bookshop was on a much grander scale than the bookshop in Willingden, and already Charlotte could envision the possibilities, and the extra opportunities, that would be within reach for an owner of a large bookshop like this in the middle of a big city like London. There would certainly be more freedom, and more resources, for creativity in the running of this business, and in the presentation of the shop to customers; more chances to stretch one's imagination.

It was the kind of bookshop that Charlotte could only dream of owning, and she thought about how lucky the owner of this bookshop was.

Completely captivated by her surroundings, Charlotte took another minute to take it all in before she headed towards the nearest bookshelf, eager to look at some of the books on display. She noticed that the words, The magic of reading, had been engraved into the light blue wooden bookshelf.

She ran her hand almost reverently over the spines of the fairytale books, making sure to glance over her shoulder every now and again in the direction of the shop door, as though half-expecting Charles to walk through it at any moment, so that the two of them could reconnect in a serendipitous moment like characters in a romantic film.

Charlotte glanced at a few of the classic books and bestsellers displayed on the next few bookshelves, with Sidney Parker waiting patiently as Charlotte took her time to browse, even looking at a few books himself, before Charlotte also looked at the shelves displaying historical fiction, and those displaying the works of Shakespeare.

Charlotte imagined how wonderful it would be to live close to this bookshop; to have more time to truly appreciate this magical setting; to spend time browsing all the books on display and sitting comfortably in one of the armchairs, reading books as the time passed by.

She then headed upstairs to have a look at the books on the upper floor. After she'd walked among the bookshelves upstairs for a few minutes, Charlotte leaned on the wooden railings overlooking the ground floor of the bookshop, watching in fascination as members of staff used the stepladders to retrieve books for customers from the higher shelves.

Charlotte glanced at the door from her vantage point on the upper floor, observing the customers who entered and exited the shop. It wasn't as though she really expected to see Charles suddenly walking into the shop while she watched the door, but she just wanted to be certain she would be able to see him, in the very unlikely event that this did happen. No matter what, Charlotte was happy that she had come here today; happy that she had discovered such a beautiful bookshop and learned more about a place that clearly meant a lot to Charles; she felt that in doing so, she had learned more about him. It heartened her, to think that they both adored such a beautiful place; that their appreciation for this bookshop could be something that they had in common.

It wasn't long before Charlotte noticed that the bookshop also sold various items of stationary, too, including notebooks, pens and pencils, all of which were displayed on a wooden table near the centre of the shop on the ground floor, and Charlotte headed back downstairs to go and look at the items, to see if she could find a notebook like the one that belonged to Charles.

She soon found a notebook that had a very similar cover, and Charlotte decided to buy it for herself, planning on using it as a journal of sorts, to document her experience of being in London; to treat the pages as precious memories that she could look back on when she returned to Willingden

Sidney didn't exactly look thrilled that Charlotte was purchasing a notebook similar to the one that Charles owned, but he didn't voice his displeasure out loud when Charlotte went to pay, also taking a bookmark with her to buy that she had chosen from a nearby display stand. The bookmark had a picture of London's skyline on it, and Charlotte thought that it was very pretty.

After she had paid for her purchases, Charlotte took one last look around the bookshop before she and Sidney started to head towards the door. Charlotte felt a bit sad on having to leave, as she would have happily stayed for hours, but she was aware that Sidney had already spent a lot of time helping her today, and she knew that he had a meeting scheduled for later in the evening, and she didn't want to take up too much more of his time. She vowed to return to the bookshop at some point over the next few days, before she left London.

Charlotte decided that Sidney could request for his driver to come and pick them up from the street where the bookshop was located. She felt that this would be a quicker and more direct way for the two of them to travel, as Charlotte could then be dropped off right outside her hotel, before the car took Sidney back to his apartment, where hopefully he could rest for a little while before his evening meeting.

It turned out that Sidney's driver, Anna, was a lot friendlier and more relaxed than she had first appeared, and Charlotte quickly got into conversation with her as they made the journey across central London in the car, with Anna sharing amusing anecdotes about her work as a driver in the city, and even showing Charlotte some photos on her phone of her beloved pet dogs that she had adopted a couple of years ago when she had to stop the car for a little while due to traffic.

Sidney insisted on getting out and opening the car door for Charlotte when the car pulled up outside the hotel. He seemed reluctant to move too close to the hotel's main doors, but still he waited on the bottom step for Charlotte to go inside, his stance protective as ever. However, Sidney's plans to wait politely outside until Charlotte went inside went awry just after Charlotte typed in the code and opened the door only to see Tom standing in the hallway, apparently having just finished fixing an item of furniture near the door.

"Ah, Sidney!" Tom called out, instantly spotting his brother outside and waving enthusiastically at him.

Sidney nodded politely at Tom while Mary suddenly appeared, walking into the hallway from the direction of the hotel Reception, no doubt on hearing her husband calling Sidney's name.

"Sidney," she greeted him with a smile, before she said hello to Charlotte, too.

If Tom or Mary were surprised that Sidney had clearly spent the day with Charlotte, then they did not show it.

Charlotte took one look at the happy expressions on Tom and Mary's faces before she headed back down the stone steps to talk to Sidney.

"I think you should go inside," she said to Sidney in barely more than a whisper. "It's clear your family members want to spend some time with you…"

"Are you sure?" Sidney asked her in a low voice, clearly waiting for Charlotte's permission to step into what was Charlotte's space for this week, inside the hotel.

"Yes," Charlotte confirmed with a nod, her voice certain. "I will probably head out to eat this evening, anyway, and I think it will be nice for Tom and Mary to catch up with you while the hotel is quiet, and they are not too busy with guests."

"Very well," said Sidney, looking more comfortable about going inside now that Charlotte had said it was okay. He instructed Anna to head back home for the evening, telling her that he would get a taxi back home later.

"Sidney, are you coming in?" Charlotte heard Tom ask his brother. "I've been meaning to ask your advice on this month's budget…"

"I may yet end up regretting this decision to go inside," Sidney muttered to Charlotte with a very subtle sigh, although he followed this with the sort of smile that he often gave now when he was around her, letting Charlotte know that he wasn't really annoyed. "After you," he added, allowing Charlotte to go before him, before he followed her up the stairs and through the front door, where Mary and Tom quickly commanded his attention after they'd said hello to Charlotte and asked her how her day had been.

After Charlotte excused herself and started to head up the stairs, leaving Sidney to spend time with his family, she couldn't help thinking that this had been the best day that she'd had in a long time.

Chapter Text

Charlotte ended up going out for a little while after she invited Sidney into the hotel to spend some time with his brother and sister-in-law, wanting to give the family some privacy to talk and catch up, especially after Sidney had already given up a lot of time to spend it with her today. Charlotte was grateful for his time and his assistance, especially as, in many ways, the two of them didn't know each other very well, and it wasn't as though he were obligated in any way to help her-now, she wanted to give Sidney some time with those he knew well.

Charlotte had headed upstairs to her hotel room to quickly get changed, and then she'd headed out to a local café to eat a light evening meal. She was not very hungry, after the lunch she had eaten at Crowe's pub, but she was appreciative of the fact that she found a free table outside to sit at while she ate, people-watching as various groups of locals and tourists passed by, as well as watching the beautiful London sunset while she looked up information on St James's Palace on her phone and planned her itinerary for tomorrow.

She also replied to a few messages she'd received from the other shopkeepers in the village, who she had asked to keep an eye on the bookshop. It seemed that all was well with the bookshop, and there were no new updates.

Charlotte scrolled through a few of the photos of her bookshop on the social media pages she had set up for it. She couldn't help but miss her bookshop, and the village, despite the wonderful adventure she was having so far in London. She felt as though she had been away for weeks, rather than days.

The hotel seemed quiet when Charlotte returned, and she couldn't see any other guests downstairs.

The silence in the hallway meant that she could overhear Sidney and Tom in conversation from behind a closed door that had be Tom's office. Sidney was advising Tom on the hotel budget for the month, telling Tom to be more cautious with how much he was spending, so as not to risk going into debt, while also promising to talk to a couple of people he knew about possibly helping with the hotel's latest repairs at a cheaper price than what was already being paid. Charlotte could tell that Sidney was still very involved in the running of the hotel, and that his brother still relied on him for business advice.

Not wanting to be eavesdropping on their conversation, Charlotte headed into the mini-kitchen next door to the lounge to get some water before she headed back upstairs to her room, where she started to get ready for bed.

She read the book of fairytales that she had brought with her in bed for a little while, planning on getting an early night so she would be well-rested for her planned visit to St James's Palace in the morning.

That was the plan, anyway…however, that plan went quickly awry when Charlotte found herself tossing and turning after she'd turned out the lights, unable to sleep with her mind so full of thoughts of everything that had happened during the day-all the places she had visited, and the conversations she had had, as well as mentally going over her plans for tomorrow.

She was feeling a mixture of emotions…disappointment at not having reunited with Charles today; happiness at having had such a good day anyway; confusion that spending time with Sidney Parker had been the main cause of her happiness today; excitement for what tomorrow might bring; nerves that she might not end up finding Charles at all, that she could leave the city feeling disappointed. All these conflicting feelings were keeping her wide awake, preventing her from getting the sleep she needed.

Charlotte tried in vain for another few minutes to get to sleep, before she threw the covers off with a sigh, making a decision to head downstairs to make herself a cup of herbal tea, in the hope that this would help her to relax a little.

She planned to sit in one of the comfortable chairs in the lounge for a little while as she drank her tea, in the hope that this would help to calm her thoughts before she went back up to bed.

Putting on a pair of slippers, and taking her book of fairytales from her bedside table, with her new bookmark recently placed between the pages, deciding to take it downstairs with her to read in the lounge while she drank a cup of chamomile tea, Charlotte left her room and crept through the dark corridor and down the stairs, conscious of every creek of the floorboards along the way, as she did not want to wake up any of the other guests. She held her fairytale book tight in her hands, not wanting to drop it on the floor, as no doubt it would make a loud noise if she did so.

Charlotte had expected the hotel lounge to be empty, as it was getting rather late, and so she was a bit surprised when she got to the bottom of the stairs and saw a light coming from the lounge through its half-open door, and she heard a male voice coming from inside.

Charlotte crept even closer to the hotel lounge door, curious about who was in there, and she was surprised to discover that the voice belonged to Sidney Parker-Charlotte had been sure that he would have already left the hotel by now-and then she was surprised again when she heard that he was talking to someone else-another man-on what sounded like a video call.

She was not surprised by the call itself-Sidney had already mentioned something about attending a meeting this evening, after all, and from what Charlotte had seen so far of Sidney Parker, it was not unlike him to be having a meeting so late at night. No, it was more the sound of the voice itself that had shocked Charlotte…it was a voice that sounded so familiar; so recognisable; a voice that Charlotte must have heard hundreds of times on the news; in speeches; on social media videos; on television programmes…

"Sidney," the voice was saying, "by all means, attend the ball in Windsor on Saturday night, if that is what you wish to do, but there is no reason why you can't just attend as a guest, rather than as a member of staff. Bring a guest with you, if you'd like-you know that the invitations extend to a plus-one. Either way, do try to enjoy yourself while you are there-it is still officially your time off, after all. I am grateful that you assisted my staff with yesterday's meeting, but you have done more than enough this summer. Try to relax as much as possible this week; you know as well as I do that things will be very busy when you return. You should rest while you have the chance-"

Charlotte blinked rapidly a few times and shook her head in disbelief, trying to snap herself back to her senses. No, surely not…It could not be. She was simply getting confused after a busy day, and she was probably very tired and half-asleep, really, even though she had felt wide awake only a few minutes ago.

She could hear several other male voices in the background of the call, occasionally chiming into the conversation, and Charlotte told herself that hearing several voices at once through the phone was also adding to her confusion, preventing her from distinguishing who it was that Sidney was talking to.

And, from the angle that Sidney was holding his phone, Charlotte could not see the screen through the half-open door, and so there were no images that Charlotte could see to give her any clues.

Perhaps she was just imagining things. Because there was simply no way that the voice could belong to the man who Charlotte had initially thought it belonged to. It seemed almost impossible that Sidney Parker would be having a business meeting over the phone with that particular man late at night in a little hotel in London. A lot of men who lived in and around London probably talked that way, Charlotte tried to reason with herself, especially in the business world.

"That is easier said than done," Charlotte suddenly heard Sidney say in response to the man, after a brief pause. Sidney's next few words were muffled, and so Charlotte could still not make out exactly who he was addressing. Regardless of whether this man was who Charlotte had initially thought he was, she knew that he had to be Sidney's boss either way. There was definitely something authoritative in the way he spoke to Sidney. "Besides," Sidney added, "as I have mentioned, I have some...concerns about a few of the guests who will possibly be attending."

"I can assure you that everything is taken care of," said another stern male voice through the phone. "There are procedures in place to ensure that the event runs smoothly-you helped us to come up with many of them. Besides, guests are briefed in advance about etiquette, and the expected code of conduct."

"We may ask for your assistance, if things don't go according to plan," said another male voice, "although that is unlikely-should you choose to attend, of course," he added hurriedly, but be assured that most of the team will be present, either way…"

Again, Charlotte couldn't quite make out what Sidney saying in response, but his tone sounded quite sceptical, which impressed Charlotte in a way, to know that Sidney was capable of challenging men who certainly sounded as though they were not used to being challenged.

As the discussion about the upcoming event in Windsor continued, Charlotte turned away from the door. She felt like she'd been frozen in shock for a few moments, but this really did sound like a private conversation, and she knew that she would be mortified, if Sidney were to discover her eavesdropping on his phone call from the other side of the door. And so she attempted to tiptoe away from the lounge door as quietly as possible, planning on foregoing her cup of tea to simply return to her room, where she would no doubt lie awake long into the night as her mind tried to process yet another discovery; yet another mystery.

However, Charlotte had only taken a few steps away when she stepped on a loose floorboard that creaked very loudly, no doubt loud enough to wake up half the hotel, Charlotte thought in her panicked state of mind as she practically froze on the spot again, and the next second she heard the sound of footsteps, and the sound of the lounge door opening fully.

After briefly closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths, Charlotte slowly started to turn around until she was face to face with Sidney Parker, who was standing in the doorway, having seemed to have arrived there rather quickly after Charlotte stepped on the floorboard-Charlotte suspected that he had already got up to close the door, probably on realising that it was half-open while he was trying to have a private meeting…a private meeting that he now knew Charlotte had been listening in on, Charlotte's thoughts provided for her, unhelpfully. Not to mention that she was holding a book of fairytales in her hand, just to add to her humiliation.

Charlotte felt another flush of embarrassment, not only at having been caught listening in at the doorway, but also on suddenly remembering that she was dressed only in short-sleeved pyjamas made from thin fabric, and an old pair of slippers. She knew that she had dressed rather casually in front of Sidney over the past few days, but not this casually. She really hadn't expected to run into anybody tonight, especially not Sidney Parker. She felt rather exposed…vulnerable, even.

Sidney also seemed to realise just how informally dressed Charlotte was as she took a step closer to the doorway as he hurriedly ended his call-mumbling something to the men he'd been speaking to about how he'd talk to them another time-where Charlotte knew he could now see her more clearly due to the light that was coming from the lounge. He averted his eyes as Charlotte took a step back from the door, actually looking a bit embarrassed, or maybe he was just irritated.

"It seems I cannot escape you…" Charlotte was certain she heard Sidney mutter, almost to himself, as he glanced at Charlotte while she stood a few feet away from him.

And there was the hint of the Sidney Parker who Charlotte had known in Willingden; the sarcastic man who always seemed rather irritated whenever he was around other people…although, he did not sound particularly irritated this time. In fact, his tone of voice was rather soft, almost like he was joking, or teasing, or something along those lines, or maybe a little exasperated, although Charlotte still felt like she couldn't quite work him out.

"I'm sorry," said Charlotte, as she tried to look apologetic, while trying not to think too hard about whether Sidney's 'I cannot escape you' line had been meant as an insult or not, or simply a statement of fact. "I didn't mean to interrupt your…phone call." She didn't really know what else to call it, without admitting that she was just eavesdropping on a phone call with possibly the most well-known man in the country. "I couldn't sleep," she started to explain rather hurriedly, still feeling a bit self-conscious, "so I thought I'd come downstairs and get a cup of tea. I didn't realise that the room was already…occupied."

Sidney seemed to consider Charlotte carefully before he spoke: "That's quite alright," he said, eventually. "You are the one staying here, after all, not me. You are perfectly within your rights to use the rooms of the hotel as you wish. I simply ended up staying here rather late after my discussion with Tom went on for longer than I planned, and I thought I might as well just have my meeting here. Right now, however, I am likely just in your way-"

"That is not true," Charlotte said, her mouth speaking words before her mind could really think about what she was trying to say. She sensed that there was something deeper to what Sidney was saying, that he was starting to have concerns that it was a bit much for Charlotte, being around him in London day and night, and Charlotte wanted to dispel that worry of his, if that was indeed what he was thinking. As much as it surprised her, she did feel better, having Sidney around, and she did not want him to start to keep his distance. "You have not been 'in my way' this week," she added. "You have actually been very helpful to me. And this was once your hotel, after all. It would not be fair of me to throw you out of it."

There was a hint of amusement on Sidney's face at that last comment. Charlotte could read something else in his expression, too…surprise perhaps, at her acknowledging that he had been helpful to her. She couldn't help thinking that it was simply expected from others, likely as part of his job, that he would guide people around London and protect them, with very little acknowledgement or thanks. Although she was also aware that the 'thanks' for his hard work came in the form of financial reward rather than kind words, as Sidney did seem to be rather wealthy.

Sidney seemed to regard Charlotte for several long moments before he spoke again, like he was considering something. "I was thinking of making a drink before I return to my apartment. Perhaps a cup of tea, for a change. Would you care to join me?"

Charlotte felt a bit surprised at Sidney's offer for her to join him for a drink in the living room. She'd thought he'd maybe not want her to be in there with him, after she'd cut short his meeting.

Finally, Charlotte nodded in agreement, deciding that she had nothing to lose, by spending more time with Sidney Parker, and perhaps she could get to know him better. "Thank you," she said with a nod as she followed him into the lounge.

Sidney insisted on making tea for the two of them, and so he headed into the little room that was attached to the hotel lounge to boil the kettle and prepare the tea while Charlotte did her best to make herself comfortable on one of the armchairs, still feeling a bit awkward and embarrassed.

The mystery of who Sidney Parker had just been talking to also weighed heavily on her mind, although Charlotte tried her best not to think about it too much, deciding that she would think of a way to ask him more about his job if she saw him tomorrow, to see just how much he could tell her. He'd seemed a bit stressed about that phone call a few minutes ago, and perhaps he needed a distraction from work right now. Besides, Charlotte had other things to distract her at the moment, like Sidney asking her which tea she would like to drink out of an assortment of teabags that were available in a little glass jar in the mini kitchen. She couldn't help thinking about how handsome Sidney looked, whenever she caught a glimpse of him through the half-open door. There was something interesting, about getting to see him like this, casually dressed and less formal, late at night in a domestic setting. She felt like this was a side of Sidney Parker that others rarely got to see, and it made Charlotte feel something that she couldn't quite explain.

A few minutes later, Charlotte was taking sips of chamomile tea, with her book of fairytales placed on the arm of the chair, while Sidney sat opposite her, also drinking tea, which was a bit of a rare sight for Charlotte, as she was used to seeing him drink coffee.

Sidney's expression was contemplative as he regarded Charlotte, and Charlotte wondered what he was thinking.

"What are your plans for tomorrow?" Sidney asked her, eventually, although Charlotte couldn't help feeling like he had maybe intended to ask her something else, but he seemed to have changed his mind at the last moment.

"I was planning on visiting St James's Palace," Charlotte told Sidney, deciding to keep the conversation relaxed and casual, too. "Even if I only get to stand outside…" she added. She had read that only the adjoining building, Clarence House, was open to the public, and she therefore knew it was unlikely that she would get to view the main part of St James's Palace. "Some of the King's Guards are stationed there, after all, and I thought it would be worth checking…"

Sidney seemed lost in thought for a few moments. "I would be happy to accompany you, if that's what you truly want, of course. I understand if you want to go alone and see some of the city yourself. I have promised to spend the afternoon with my nieces and nephew, but I could go with you in the morning, if you want? I know a few of the staff who work there, I could try to talk to them about-"

"I'm happy for you to go with me," Charlotte interrupted him, fighting off a smile at the idea that Sidney actually seemed a little hesitant and uncertain now.

Sidney nodded at Charlotte's words. Sidney Parker was difficult to read at the best of times, but Charlotte was certain that he looked rather happy that Charlotte had agreed that he could accompany her tomorrow morning.

They talked for a few more minutes about St James's Palace, and the best routes to take to travel there.

Charlotte suddenly started to shiver a little as she finished her tea. She hadn't even realised that she was starting to feel cold.

"Here," said Sidney, with the look of concern and protectiveness that Charlotte was growing to like crossing his face as he reached for a blanket that had been folded up neatly on one of the other chairs in the room before he gently passed it over to Charlotte.

For a moment, it almost seemed like he was going to help gently place the blanket over Charlotte's shoulders, more as a reflex reaction than anything else; perhaps he would have done, if he'd known her better. It was as though he'd once done something similar for other women he'd probably known a lot better, and Charlotte tried not to imagine him sitting in this same room late at night with a former girlfriend, even though she wasn't quite sure why she didn't like to imagine it.

Anyway, Sidney seemed to think better of it at the last moment, and he handed the blanket to Charlotte and moved quickly away, so fast it was almost as though he had been burned by something, leaving Charlotte to wrap the blanket around herself, grateful for the additional warmth, even if she was left wondering why Sidney was so reluctant to share any close physical contact with her that he'd moved away faster than a flash of lightning.

As they lapsed into silence again, Charlotte reached for her book of fairytales that she'd placed on the arm of the chair, holding it in her hands as though it were its own sort of comfort blanket.

Sidney seemed to regard the book in Charlotte's hands with a contemplative expression for a little while, although Charlotte was unsure why. His expression also looked troubled, and his brows were furrowed.

Finally, he spoke: "I must confess, I have not been entirely honest with you," he said, saying what had to be the most vague and mysterious sentence he'd ever spoken to Charlotte.

Charlotte raised an eyebrow at him, wondering if she was about to see more of the Sidney Parker who she had known of in Willingden...the Sidney Parker who she had not much liked, who she'd imagined to not be a very honest man.

"That is not to say that I have been dishonest with you," Sidney continued, hurriedly, perhaps on seeing the confused frown on Charlotte's face. "I have not lied to you, or answered anything you have asked untruthfully, to the best of my knowledge, especially not during this trip to London. It is more that I have perhaps not told you as much as I should have, with regards to why I offered to help you on this journey…"

Charlotte still felt none the wiser as to what Sidney was trying to tell her, and Sidney seemed to pick up on this, because he looked like he was thinking carefully about how he was going to say what he was about to say…

"That night, by the campfire, in the forest," he started to explain, "when we were staying at my brother and sister's resort, you asked me why I was helping you, and the response I gave you was an honest one, but there was more to it…

Again, he paused, and Charlotte leaned forward a little in her seat, curious as to what Sidney was going to say next…

"A couple of years ago," he said, "my mother passed away. It was a difficult time for my siblings and I."

There was tension in Sidney's body language as he spoke. Charlotte sensed that this loss was not something he talked about with anyone outside of his family, or his close circle of friends.

Charlotte wondered how this painful memory connected to his decision to help her in London.

"We tried to protect my two nieces and my eldest nephew-my youngest nephew had not yet been born-from the grief all around them, as much as was possible," Sidney continued, "but children can very easily pick up on the pain of those around them. Not to mention that they had lost a beloved grandmother. During the summer of that year, the children went with their nanny to stay at my grandmother's manor in Willingden for a few days. Their parents had a lot of work to do at the hotel, where they were already struggling with debts, and they thought that the children would benefit from some time away from London. During their stay in Willingden, they visited the shops in the village, where they happened to visit your bookshop."

Again, Sidney paused, seeming a bit lost in the memories of that time in his life.

"You were working there that day," he said, "running a storytelling event based on the theme of fairytales, I believe, according to what the children told me when they returned to London."

Charlotte blinked in surprise a few times. She remembered that day, that storytelling event. She couldn't remember specific details about the children who had been there, as she ran many storytelling sessions where quite a few people were often in attendance, but Charlotte had thought that there was something familiar about the children in Tom and Mary's family photos at the hotel, and she was sure that she would remember the three children if she saw them in person again.

She did remember that the children in attendance had gathered around her on comfortable chairs in the cozy corner of the shop; she remembered the stories she had told from her favourite fairytale books.

What a strange coincidence, that Sidney's nieces and nephew had been there on that day; that they had visited her bookshop…something about it seemed fated, almost, although Charlotte couldn't explain why.

"They were happy, after spending time in your bookshop," Sidney added. "They talked enthusiastically about the shop, and the stories you had told them. There was something almost magical about the experience, through their eyes. You were kind to them, when they were going through a difficult time…you made them feel welcome; you gave them back a sense of belief in the magic of the world. And they were thrilled, with the fairytale books I purchased for them from your shop. I believe the books were a reminder of the happiness they experienced that afternoon; a reminder of a happy place that they could keep with them."

Again, Sidney paused. Charlotte could tell that he did not often share such personal stories with people he wasn't very close to.

"Despite my more…cynical views on the value of reading fairytales," he said, "on the night of the ball, when you mentioned your plans to travel to London to find your 'Prince Charming'…" (In typical Sidney Parker fashion, Sidney said this with more than a little sarcasm in his voice.) "I was reminded of the kindness you had shown my nieces and nephew, and it felt only right to offer my assistance; to repay your kindness to my family, especially after I have not shown much kindness of my own recently. You provided my nieces and nephew with an escape into a magical world, and I felt it would be wrong, to be in any way responsible for you not finding your own happily ever after."

Charlotte regarded Sidney in silence for a little while, trying to process everything he had just told her. A part of her would have liked for Sidney to have told her all this on that night by the campfire in the forest, when she had first asked him why he was helping her, but on the other hand, she understood why he had been more guarded about telling this story; it was a rather personal and painful one, after all, and Sidney Parker seemed the type to be cautious about revealing personal stories about himself.

Besides, the two of them had barely known one another at that point, and strangely, Charlotte felt that they knew each other better now, after everything they had shared in London so far. Although she was aware that she still had a lot to learn about Sidney Parker, she was glad that he had told her this story tonight.

Mostly, Charlotte was glad that she had been able to provide some comfort to three children when they had been going through a difficult time.

"Thank you for telling me," Charlotte said, eventually, wanting to share her appreciation with Sidney for opening up to her. She felt she understood his motivations better now. It made even more sense to her, as to why he was helping her; why he had gone out of his way to make this journey easier for her.

Sidney nodded, and the silence that followed was a comfortable one, at least.

Eventually, they started talking again as they finished their tea, discussing some of their favourite classic novels, and Charlotte was surprised to discover that Sidney was not as dispassionate about books as he so often appeared-something that she had already started to suspect during today's visit to the bookshop. They even had a few favourite classic novels in common. Perhaps Sidney's apparent distaste for Charlotte's bookshop in Willingden had just been for show. Or perhaps there had been other reasons. Perhaps he simply just didn't like being in Willingden.

It wasn't long after that that Charlotte decided to head back upstairs to bed, finally feeling a little sleepy. It seemed that the chamomile tea, and a bit of time spent in the hotel lounge, had helped to relax her.

She briefly made arrangements to meet with Sidney at the hotel tomorrow morning, so that they could head to St James's Palace, and then Charlotte folded up the blanket, got up and started to head out of the room with her book in hand, with Sidney insisting that he would wash the cups and tidy up the lounge after she'd left the room, so that Charlotte could head up to bed quicker. It all felt oddly domestic, in a nice way, which made Charlotte feel a bit confused.

Sidney also insisted on waiting in the hallway while Charlotte headed up the stairs, looking very concerned that she made it safely to her room, even though the little, family-run hotel was probably one of the safest places to be in London.

As Charlotte started to climb the stairs, she felt as though she were on some sort of first date, with her date being a gentleman and ensuring that she got home safe.

Charlotte glanced over her shoulder when she reached the top of the stairs.

"Goodnight, Charlotte," said Sidney, his tone soft, almost gentle, far less abrupt than it had seemed whenever he was in Willingden, even though he still looked like he had a lot on his mind. There was something about the way Sidney said her name that made Charlotte shiver.

"Goodnight," Charlotte said back softly with a smile.

She might have come to London to search for Charles, but Charlotte couldn't deny that she was looking forward to spending more time with Sidney tomorrow.

Chapter Text

As she had suspected might happen after her late-night conversation with Sidney, Charlotte started to feel wide awake again the moment she returned to her hotel room.

She had felt…something she couldn't quite explain when Sidney had wished her goodnight, and now all her confused thoughts seemed to be waging a war in her mind, like a storm in a teacup.

Charlotte ended up sitting at the window seat in her room for a little while, her book of fairytales still open in her hands as she looked up at the stars in the night sky through the glass, trying to process all her muddled thoughts…

She was enjoying the time she was spending with Sidney in London, as much as this idea would have surprised her, only days ago; she liked that she was learning more about him; she appreciated the conversations they shared; she felt safe and protected when he was around. Charlotte felt like she was discovering more about Sidney Parker alongside her discoveries about the city of London, and still she felt like there was a lot more she wanted to learn about them both.

And Sidney was undeniably handsome, despite his moodiness and his sarcastic comments…And Charlotte couldn't deny that her heart was starting to beat a bit faster whenever the two of them shared an amusing or significant moment, or whenever Sidney opened up to her a little…And she still couldn't get the image of a half-naked Sidney Parker emerging from the lake out of her mind…

Charlotte shook her head, as though desperately trying to clear it of these not-so-innocent thoughts.

On the other hand, she rapidly reminded herself, before her thoughts could drift too far towards the lake, she had come to London to find Charles.

Charlotte could still remember the sense of happiness and almost giddiness she had felt on spending the evening with Charles at the ball in Willingden. It had all felt so right that evening, as though their meeting had been fated; it had all felt so magical, like she really had been in a fairytale, dancing with a prince; it had felt like happily-ever-after had been just within reach, and Charlotte longed to feel those feelings again. She still wanted her fairytale ending.

Besides, it would seem a bit silly, when she had put so much effort, time and expense into coming to London for the purpose of finding Charles, only to admit defeat now and accept that he was impossible to find-or didn't want to be found, a nagging voice in her head that sounded a bit like Sidney Parker insisted on reminding her. Her trip to London, and her time away from her business, might start to feel like a bit of a waste of time, if she did not end up finding him.

And of course there would be a sense of sadness, on not reuniting with Charles, on having to admit that fairytale-like happy endings were not possible to find in real life, especially when Charlotte's social media post about trying to find Charles was starting to gain more attention now, with the 'likes' and comments steadily increasing, and Charlotte felt like so many people online were inspired by her potential love story and were rooting for her to find her happily ever with Charles, perhaps so that they could believe that they too could have a chance of finding a similar fairytale-like story of their own, which was adding an extra element of pressure to Charlotte's search.

She felt like she would be disappointing not only herself but also others, if she was not successful in finding what she had come to the city to find.

Not to mention that as nice as Sidney was being to her while she was here, Charlotte did still have her concerns that this better side of him that she was seeing in London was just Sidney being on his 'best behaviour' while Charlotte was here, while he fulfilled his promise to help her as best as he could.

After their conversation tonight, Charlotte now knew that there was a deeper, more emotional tie to his apparent need to help her, and perhaps that was why he was going to all this extra effort, to ensure he fulfilled his perceived obligation to Charlotte to the best of his ability. Perhaps he was not like this all the time. Perhaps his apparent kindness and generosity were just part of the deal, and not true aspects of Sidney's personality.

Maybe that was all she was to him, Charlotte thought to herself, as her more insecure, paranoid and perhaps slightly unrealistic thoughts started to take over her mind, as they occasionally did late at night-an obligation; a duty to fulfil. Perhaps the side of Sidney that Charlotte was seeing in London was just an act; an act that would be dropped as soon as he felt that he had done his duty.

After all, Sidney had been honest about the fact that there were still things that Charlotte didn't know about him-maybe she didn't know his true self at all. Maybe she was just starting to feel closer to a side of him that didn't really exist. Perhaps there were secrets about him that she would not like to hear, and that was why he kept things from her.

Charlotte remembered very well how Sidney had behaved during his visits to Willingden-they were only recent memories, after all-when he had been moody and distant, looking like he didn't want to be there, and frequently making sarcastic comments about the village. Charlotte couldn't yet overcome her concerns that that was who Sidney truly was.

Alison might have believed that Sidney Parker had hidden depths; depths that perhaps involved a hidden affection for Charlotte, with her theory that Sidney visited the bookshop so often due to a hidden desire to see Charlotte, but now Charlotte knew for sure that that part of Alison's theory was unlikely to be true, after hearing the story that Sidney had just told her, as it appeared that he visited the bookshop so often because it had been a significant place for his nieces and nephew…which was a beautiful reason to visit, truly, but it also meant that Sidney likely did not visit the bookshop for any reasons connected to his desire to see Charlotte.

When Charlotte finally got into bed and fell asleep, she had the dream again, as she'd had a feeling she would.

In her dream, she ran down the stone steps of the castle, losing one of her stilettos along the way in her eagerness to escape as she ran towards the dark forest, still confused as to how the forest was going to provide her with any sort of sanctuary, especially when she could already hear the howling of the wolves, which seemed to be getting closer by the second.

There were a few elements of the dream that were different this time however-when Charlotte encountered the unicorn this time, it bowed its bead before allowing Charlotte to ride on its back through the forest, and Charlotte could practically feel the cold breeze rushing through her hair as the unicorn galloped through the forest, its rapid pace feeling freeing, rather than frightening. Charlotte could sense somewhere deep in her soul that the unicorn would eventually take her to safety, after overcoming the challenges of the forest.

The unicorn took Charlotte to the now-familiar clearing in the forest, before it seemingly vanished from sight.

There, Charlotte could see Susan, Alison and Lady Denham again, the three women gathered around a fire that looked a lot like the campfire that Charlotte and Sidney had sat by during their recent visit to a real-life forest. Charlotte had the vague thought that it was dangerous to light fires while surrounded by so many trees, but her dream-self (and the people in her dream) did not seem to be as concerned about real-life dangers.

Her dream-self also noticed that the three women were for some reason using what looked like old newspaper pages to keep the fire burning, even though Charlotte was unsure why they were doing this, or what the image of the newspapers in her dream world could mean.

Susan looked right at Charlotte as she took a step closer to her. "Charlotte," she told her with a gentle smile, her voice sounding a bit distant and echoey in that typical, dreamlike way, "the answer is already right in front of you…"

And then, as she always did in this dream, Charlotte noticed the man who looked like a knight, standing between a gap in the trees in the distance. This time, that distance did not seem as far away as usual. This time, the knight's armour looked a bit less rusty, and it had even started to glimmer a little under the reflected light of the moonlight.

For reasons unknown, Charlotte was drawn to the knight, even though she still could not see his face clearly, and she started to take steps closer to him. As she got closer, the howling of the wolves seemed to get louder, and Charlotte noticed the knight reaching for a bow and arrow that she hadn't even realised he was carrying, until now, his stance protective.

It seemed that there really was some sort of threat approaching, and Charlotte started to hear Susan, Alison and Lady Denham chanting, "Something wicked this way comes…" in perfect harmony with the ominous whispers of the trees in the distance behind her, as the howling of the wolves got even louder…

But then, before Charlotte could work out what the threat was, she awoke with a start, taking a couple of minutes to remember where she was.

She looked in the direction of the hotel room window to see that the sun had started to rise. It was morning already.

Charlotte still felt a bit sleepy as she went downstairs for breakfast, after her late night and her sleep having been disturbed by her strange recurring dream, but she felt excited about the day ahead all the same.

She had dressed in loose-fitting trousers and a flowing, white shirt today, as it looked like it was going to be a warm day, also sliding a floral hair clip into her hair to complete her look, in keeping with the summer theme that she was going for.

The dining room was starting to empty out by the time Charlotte sat at a table to eat her breakfast, and so she had a bit of time to be alone with her thoughts while she ate.

She thought about her recurring dream, and all the new messages that seemed to have appeared in it last night. Was there a deeper meaning to the appearance of the newspapers in the dream, or the unicorn allowing Charlotte to ride on its back, or the knight's armour suddenly appearing less rusty? Or, perhaps more worryingly, the knight reaching for his bow and arrow this time in the dream, as though there were some sort of threat nearby?

Were all the events and symbols in the dream connected to recent events in Charlotte's life, and her trip to London? Charlotte wasn't sure.

Trying to distance herself from her more troubled thoughts about her recurring dream, Charlotte started to scroll through her social media pages on her phone, looking up the beautiful bookshop in central London she had visited yesterday, eager to follow the shop's pages on social media and view the online photos of its interior.

Her attention was instantly drawn to a recent post announcing that the London bookshop was up for sale. Charlotte stared at the post in fascination for a little while, her more fanciful thoughts starting to run away with her as she thought about how it would be a dream come true, to own and work in that beautiful bookshop, and all the things she could do to promote the bookshop if she bought it…but then her more logical thoughts set in, and she told herself how impossible a dream it was to have. For starters, she was sure that she could never afford to buy a bookshop in the middle of London-London was very expensive, and at times, it was difficult enough to keep the bookshop in Willingden financially afloat, and it wasn't as though she knew any rich investors who would be prepared to give her any financial backing to buy and run another bookshop, this one in a busy and expensive city.

Besides, Charlotte wasn't even thinking about moving to London, was she? Because that was what she would have to do, if she bought a business here-she was well aware of that. Or, at the very least, she would have to spend a significant amount of time in the city, and less time in Willingden.

Charlotte was enjoying her time in London, and she considered it to be a beautiful city with a rich history, but that didn't mean that she was anywhere close to considering moving here. Already, she was missing her village, and her bookshop, and all the other shops on the same little street, and the people who lived in the village, and the peace and quiet that came with living in the countryside. Even though, lately, she'd had the nagging feeling that her life was a little too quiet…But still, the thought of moving away from all that she'd ever known was more than a little daunting-not that moving was even an option right now, given how expensive it would no doubt be, and running a bookshop in London would lead to even greater expense.

Charlotte finished her breakfast and got up from her seat, looking for yet another distraction. She started to clear the tables in the dining room, relying on her skills from when she had worked at the tea shop in Willingden a few years ago, happy to have something productive to do while she waited for Sidney to arrive, and wanting to make herself useful.

"Charlotte, you don't have to do that, you are a guest here," Charlotte heard Mary say gently to her as she walked into the room, looking a bit embarrassed that she had not arrived earlier to help clear the tables.

"It's no problem," Charlotte told her with a smile, trying to sound reassuring, "I want to help, and I have a bit of time before I head out for the day."

And so, the two women worked together to clear the tables, with Charlotte talking to Mary about her plans for the day as she helped her. When Charlotte mentioned to Mary that Sidney was going to pick her up from the hotel again, like yesterday, Mary raised her eyebrows for a moment, looking rather interested by this information, but then she seemed to realise what she was doing and quickly schooled her features into a more neutral expression.

"It's good to see Sidney actually enjoying his time off, rather than spending it working," Mary finally said as a response. "And it's nice you're getting to spend time with him…in London, especially," she added, sounding a bit more hesitant now, like there was a deeper meaning to what she had just said. "I think he is more comfortable here, and he can perhaps be more himself…"

"What is it about being in Willingden, that makes Sidney uncomfortable?" Charlotte couldn't help asking Mary, very curious to know, and hopeful that Mary could provide her with a little more insight. After all, Willingden was home to Charlotte, the place where she had always felt comfortable-perhaps a bit too comfortable, as she was often reluctant to leave-and she couldn't help but wonder what it was about Willingden that Sidney did not like.

"Oh, well, he is often there for work," Mary explained, still sounding a bit vague, "and so I don't think it is a place where he can truly relax. Besides, although he loves his grandmother-Lady Denham, who lives in Willingden, she can place a lot of demands on his time when he is there, and the two of them don't always see eye to eye. And Sidney is often the subject of…gossip, in the village, especially when he attends events there such as the ball at the manor house, which can be rather tiresome for him. He is a very private person. I think he often feels somewhat relieved to return to the city, where it is a bit easier for him to get lost in the crowd…"

Mary finished her sentence with a smile, as though trying to find amusement in her words, but there was something in her facial expression that made Charlotte suspect that there was a bit more to the story about Sidney's experiences in Willingden, and that Mary was a bit reluctant to tell her too much, as Charlotte was still a relative stranger to the Parker family. Perhaps Sidney had bad memories of the village. Perhaps Mary thought that Sidney would tell Charlotte himself, as he got to know her better.

It wasn't long after that that Mary got distracted by the arrival of another guest, and then Sidney sent Charlotte a message to let her know that he was almost at the hotel, and so Charlotte headed to the front door to wait for him.

Sidney rang the bell a minute or so later, and when Charlotte opened the door, she saw him standing at the top of the stone steps, with his car parked on the road behind him.

Sidney did not seem to be at all affected by his late night last night-he looked handsome and well-rested and ready to face the day ahead. Charlotte had a feeling that he often dealt with late nights and early starts. Again, there was something intriguing for Charlotte, about getting to see Sidney Parker dressed casually in jeans and a white T-shirt, with a hint of a smile on his face, when she had been used to seeing him more formally attired in Willingden, complete with a rather stern expression, in contrast to his more relaxed expression today.

She almost felt a bit shy on seeing him now, after her thoughts about him seemed to be heading in a more affectionate and confusing direction after spending a day (and evening) with Sidney yesterday, although Charlotte tried her best not to show that this was how she was feeling.

Sidney confirmed with Charlotte that he had already arranged with his 'contacts at the palace' for the two of them to take a tour of Clarence House this morning, which was situated on the grounds of St James's Palace. Charlotte didn't know who these contacts were, or why Sidney would have contacts at St James's Palace in the first place, but she was thrilled at the idea of taking a tour of Clarence House all the same.

After Sidney had asked her if she was ready to go, Charlotte agreed that they could travel by car today, as she already knew from her conversation with Sidney last night that he had to be back in the afternoon to take his nieces and nephew on an afternoon out, and so Charlotte felt it would make more sense to just use one mode of transport to get around the city today, and then have the car drop her back off at the hotel later before Sidney went to pick up his nieces and nephew in the same car. Anyway, Charlotte had brought more items with her today than yesterday, including a picnic blanket borrowed from Mary, in the hope that she would have the time to visit St James's Park, and she was hoping to leave a few of her things in the car while she visited St James's Palace.

Anna greeted Charlotte happily when she got into the car, and Charlotte spent most of the journey to St James's Palace talking to Anna about Anna's favourite places to visit in the city, as well as sharing some of the facts about St James's Palace that she had looked up while planning her visit, including information about how it had to be remodelled in the nineteenth century, along with information about the chapel on the palace grounds, as well as the Monarch's private apartments, and Clarence House, and how the palace housed a large artwork collection.

Charlotte enjoyed her conversation with Anna, but it meant that she didn't have much opportunity to talk to Sidney before they arrived at St James's Palace, apart from their quick greeting at the hotel door, where Sidney had then been interrupted by a phone call while they were making their way to the car…Charlotte hadn't known who he was talking to, but she'd heard most of the conversation from Sidney's end: "Yes, I spoke to Crowe and Babington yesterday…several more times than I would have liked to, in fact…" she'd heard Sidney say, with his typical tone of sarcasm.

"Yes, I will ask her," he'd added, after a brief pause so he could listen to the person talking on the other end of the phone. "Yes, I will ask today. I'm aware it's all very last minute. No, I do not need you to send a message later to remind me-I can assure you that impeccable memory skills are a requirement in my line of work, and I therefore could not do without them…"

It hadn't been long after that that the call had ended, and Charlotte had been left wondering what it had been about, and curious as to what Sidney was going to ask, and to whom, but she'd become distracted talking to Anna after Sidney held the door open for Charlotte to get into the car.

There was a bit of traffic as they travelled towards the centre of London, but it wasn't long before they arrived at St James's Palace, which overlooked St James's Park, and wasn't far from Buckingham Palace.

Charlotte took a few moments to admire the palace, which was built in red brick, with its architecture primarily Tudor in style, before she and Sidney headed towards Clarence House, which was built on the grounds next to the palace and was one of the few locations on the palace grounds that was open for public visits.

A few minutes later, Charlotte and Sidney were standing right outside Clarence House, a beautiful four storey house faced in fine, pale plaster, and Charlotte took a few photos of the building before she headed through its main doors and into its long gallery hallway with Sidney by her side, where a few of the staff working in the building definitely seemed to recognise him.

While Charlotte was observing the hallway, with its red carpet, large chandelier hanging from the ceiling, antique, dark wooden furniture lining the hallway, and large portraits on the walls, Sidney was approached by a group of staff who were working in the building, all of whom already seemed to know him well.

"There is a matter I would be grateful for your assistance with," Charlotte heard Sidney tell the assembled group of staff in a low voice, after the initial greetings, "…there is someone we are looking for…"

Charlotte, who was standing further down the hallway and had been distracted looking at a portrait, still couldn't fail to notice that the demeanour of the group of staff changed immediately on hearing Sidney's words-they stood up taller, their relaxed and more casual body language instantly replaced by more serious expressions, their postures looking like they were about to spring into action at any moment as their eyes darted around the room, apparently looking for a hint of danger.

Two things were confirmed to Charlotte in that moment-the first was that Sidney Parker had authority here, too, in the same way that he seemed to have it at Buckingham Palace, and the second was that Sidney definitely worked in something relating to security, as the team of staff were acting as though Sidney had just hinted at some unnamed threat that he needed their assistance to protect the palace from, and from their response, it seemed that this was not the first time that this had happened.

"What is it?"

"What do you need us to do?"

The members of the team started to ask him, a couple of them already reaching for their walkie-talkies.

"No, no, it is nothing like that," Sidney explained hurriedly, apparently realising how his words had just come across. "There is no danger, or threat. I am asking for more…personal reasons, in order to help a colleague of mine…"

Charlotte felt a bit strange on hearing Sidney refer to her as 'a colleague', even though she wasn't sure why. She told herself that it made sense, for Sidney to refer to her this way; after all, the two of them didn't know each other very well, they weren't friends, and Sidney had already told Crowe and Babington that they were working on a project in the city together. It seemed logical, to keep the explanations as to why they were spending time together in London consistent.

Sidney went on to describe Charles's appearance to the team of staff, based on what Charlotte had told him about Charles, telling them that he had reason to believe he might be one of the King's Guards. However, it seemed that nobody in the team had heard of Charles, with all of them saying that they were fairly certain that no man matching that description worked at St James's Palace.

Charlotte tried not to let the now all-too-familiar feeling of disappointment take over her thoughts, telling herself that this visit had been worth it anyway, to get to see Clarence House, even if she wasn't going to run into Charles.

Sidney introduced Charlotte to the team then, starting with the man who appeared to be the team leader-a man called Eric who looked to be about a decade older than Sidney, with hazel eyes, black hair with a few hints of grey in it, and a friendly smile.

A few of the staff members looked from Charlotte to Sidney with curious expressions on their faces as Sidney introduced Charlotte, but, unlike Gretel's team at Buckingham Palace, they seemed to possess the tact not to make any pointed comments or speculate out loud about the nature of Charlotte and Sidney's relationship.

The team of staff then headed off to greet a few other visitors, while Sidney led Charlotte into the nearest room-the Lancaster Room, which, according to Sidney, was used as a waiting room for guests visiting the house. It seemed he was something of an expert on this royal property, too.

The Lancaster Room looked rather cozy, with lamps, armchairs and coffee tables in the middle of the room, and large wooden bookshelves against the walls.

It was as she was admiring the room's fireplace, with Sidney Parker standing next to her, that Sidney cleared his throat and started to talk about a topic that it seemed he had been waiting for the right moment to bring up…

"I have been speaking to Georgiana this morning," he began, looking a bit uneasy now. "I mentioned her at the ball…our mothers were friends…"

Charlotte nodded to confirm that she remembered Sidney mentioning Georgiana on the night of the ball.

"Well," he continued, "it seems Crowe and Babington got in contact with her yesterday, after we visited Crowe's pub…"

Charlotte could tell from the look of disapproval on Sidney's face that his friends had called Georgiana to gossip and speculate about the new woman who their friend had recently arrived in the city with, but he was likely too polite to say this directly to Charlotte, even though he clearly didn't approve of their actions.

"Crowe has a tendency to share any new information he discovers with anyone who will listen," said Sidney with a roll of his eyes, and a hint of a smirk, "which is perhaps why he is so well suited to his current role at the pub…Either way, Georgiana is not particularly fond of the idea of several of her friends being acquainted with someone in the city who she is not. She has been calling me incessantly to ask me to invite you to her fairytale-themed twenty-first birthday party at The Fable tomorrow night. It seems she is eager to meet you. I promised her I would pass on the invite…"

Charlotte raised her eyebrows, a bit surprised to be invited.

"I am aware that it is a very last-minute invite," Sidney added hurriedly, looking uncharacteristically a bit out of his depth now. "And though I have no doubt that it will be an enjoyable evening, I am also aware that you will likely have to deal with several impertinent questions while you are there, which might put you off…On the other hand, it might be of interest to you to go to The Fable, as, if I remember correctly, you mentioned on the night of the ball that it was a place that Charles had told you he liked to visit. I know it is unlikely you will happen to run into him there tomorrow night, but if there is even a small chance, then perhaps it will be worth it-"

Charlotte couldn't help wondering if she was being invited as Sidney's 'plus-one', and if this was the reason behind his apparent awkwardness. Perhaps that was the only way she could attend the party, if she went as somebody's 'plus-one' due to logistics, and guest lists, and a limit on the number of guests who could attend, and with this being a last-minute invite, which was all very logical and understandable, but still Charlotte could see why it would feel a bit strange for Sidney to be asking her, given that he didn't know Charlotte very well.

"I'd love to go," Charlotte cut in, taking pity on Sidney and deciding to spare him from further awkwardness, "tell Georgiana thank you for the invite."

Admittedly, Charlotte was nervous at the idea of walking into a room full of people she didn't know at a party in an unfamiliar city, most of whom would know Sidney Parker and would probably ask Charlotte awkward questions about just how well she knew Sidney, but the idea of attending a fairytale-themed party, and possibly getting to dress up like a fairytale princess, just like she'd dreamed of doing during her childhood, far outweighed those initial nerves. Besides, from the photos of The Fable that Charlotte had looked up on social media after meeting Charles at the ball, Charlotte could see that it looked like a beautiful place to visit, and she was glad to have a reason to go there, even if it was unlikely that Charles would head there for a drink on the same night that Charlotte was attending Georgiana's party.

Anyway, she had come to London looking for adventure, a new experience, and attending a party at The Fable for someone she didn't know felt like a part of that. And, the friends of Sidney's who she had met so far seemed like kind people, so Charlotte was sure that Georgiana would be, too.

Sidney actually looked a bit surprised that Charlotte had so quickly agreed to attend, but he seemed to recover himself quickly. "Yes, well, I will let Georgiana know," he said, as the two of them prepared to head into the next room.

As Charlotte and Sidney walked through into the Morning Room, a very pretty room with sky blue walls and white furniture, and then through its double doors which opened out into the library, which had a large dining table in the middle of the room and was apparently used for small gatherings, Charlotte and Sidney discussed the details of Georgiana's upcoming party, including the dress code, and the start and finish times.

Sidney kindly offered to pick Charlotte up at her hotel tomorrow evening so that they could travel to the party together in the car, as well as offering to drop her back off at the hotel after the party, and Charlotte was grateful that she would not have to arrange her own transport for the evening or arrive at the party alone.

As the two of them headed into the dining room-a much larger room with red and white walls, and a large, dark wooden dining table and chairs in the middle of the room with candelabras on the dining table, Charlotte was silently making plans to visit a few shops in the city tomorrow to buy a few accessories that would hopefully fit in with the fairytale theme of Georgiana's party. Already, she was looking forward to putting her outfit together.

To the left of the dining room was the entrance to the Horse Corridor, which had got its name from the abundance of horse paintings on the walls. Charlotte and Sidney were surrounded by the colour red as they walked through this corridor, from the red carpet and rug to the different shades of red on the walls.

At the end of this corridor was the Garden Room, another beautifully decorated room with long, red curtains, and couches that had several cushions on and were positioned around a fireplace.

Charlotte and Sidney stayed in this room for a few minutes so that Charlotte could admire the furniture, the two of them talking a bit more about the upcoming party, while Sidney also talked about his plans to spend some time with Tom and Mary tomorrow during the day, before the party, as his brother and sister-in-law had an afternoon off work.

The Garden Room opened out to the garden, which had a sundial at its centre, surrounded by pretty flowers.

Sidney had the air of someone who had visited this house and garden many times before, but still he seemed happy to stand back and observe as Charlotte took her time to walk around the garden, trying to view it from every angle.

Charlotte inhaled the scent of the flowers as she walked around the garden in a slow circle, thinking about all the rooms and grounds in the two palaces that she had viewed over the past couple of days, feeling appreciative of all that she had seen so far. She could only imagine what it would be like, to live a life surrounded by such luxury. She wondered if Charles really did have a connection to royalty, as she had thought when she first met him at the ball, and if he experienced such regal surroundings on a daily basis.

A few members of staff headed into the garden while Charlotte and Sidney were outside, and Sidney got into conversation with Eric in a corner of the garden near the doors leading back into the house while Charlotte continued to walk around.

Charlotte was standing at a bit of a distance from the two men as she stopped to have another look at the sundial, but she could hear most of their conversation all the same…

"We were surprised you were so eager to run off to Willingden recently, especially to attend a ball," Charlotte heard Eric tell Sidney. "You never seemed to be much of a fan of those sorts of events-I heard the boss is still trying to persuade you to attend the ball in Windsor as a guest, without much success…The staff at Buckingham Palace were convinced that you had a special someone waiting for you at your grandmother's ball in the village, hence your eagerness to attend…not that I ever indulge in idle gossip, of course," he added, with laughter in his voice.

"So, you've been talking to Gretel, then, I assume," Sidney commented, in his typically mildly irritated tone that he so often used in Willingden.

"Something like that," Eric admitted, with more laughter. "Her team is convinced that you are secretly smitten with some mystery person; they all seem to be trying to put the pieces together to work out who it is."

"Gretel's team members clearly have too much time on their hands," muttered Sidney, in a tone of exasperation. "They should not be meddling in my personal business. Besides, you know very well that I am rarely 'eager' to return to Willingden, as you put it," he continued with a sigh, "given what happened at the pub there only recently, as well as other less-than-pleasant events that have a habit of occurring while I am there, and especially not to attend an event such as a ball. However, when it comes to my grandmother, I have found that it is often simply easier in the long run to go along with her demands, rather than try to oppose her." There was amusement in Sidney's tone now, too, so Charlotte could tell that he was mostly making this last part of his comment in jest, although just enough seriousness remained in his voice to suggest that there was also some truth to what he was saying.

"You've never seemed the type to 'go along' with anybody," Eric countered. "Not at work, anyway."

"If you met her, you'd understand," said Sidney, with definite amusement now, and affection, and even a hint of a smile, when Charlotte glanced over her shoulder to look at him, and Eric laughed in response, looking between Charlotte and Sidney for a moment, before muttering something to Sidney that annoyingly, Charlotte could not hear. She was already puzzled as to what the 'recent events' were in Willingden that had made Sidney so reluctant to return to the village, and with each mumbled conversation that she could not overhear, she felt like she was missing out on yet more clues.

Sidney and Eric talked for a few minutes longer about Eric's wife and children, before Eric had to head back inside to work.

Charlotte had started to take photos of the garden with her grandmother's camera that she had brought with her again today while the two men were still talking, and Sidney offered to take a few photos of Charlotte in the garden with the camera when the conversation was over and he approached her.

Sidney knew exactly how to use the camera with little explanation from Charlotte-he seemed the type to easily pick up new skills, and Charlotte was sure that he was a man of many talents.

A few minutes after that, the two of them were preparing to leave St James's Palace. Charlotte was left with a lot to think about as she headed out of the grounds of the palace with Sidney by her side, and most of her thoughts surprisingly weren't related to the upcoming party, as much as she was looking forward to it. She wasn't even thinking very much about the fact that she hadn't run into Charles here today, in the same way that she hadn't found him at Buckingham Palace yesterday, or at the Tower of London. No, her thoughts were mainly focused on Sidney Parker. She thought about his interactions with the staff members, here and at Buckingham Palace. It seemed like they were colleagues of his, as they seemed to regard him as an authority figure, and, although he was friendly and polite to them, he seemed to keep something of a professional distance with them, too, putting up barriers whenever they asked a few too many questions about his personal life. But still Charlotte could not work out what his role might be, as she wasn't sure what job he could do that would involve him working at Buckingham Palace, St James's Palace, and possibly the Tower of London, too.

Sidney's conversation with Eric had also confirmed to Charlotte that Sidney had some sort of aversion to visiting Willingden, especially when it came to attending the balls there, and she was even more curious as to why. Charlotte wondered if she would be able to find out before she left London.

Deep down, she couldn't help thinking, or maybe hoping, that if Sidney's bad moods in Willingden were due to a personal dislike of visiting the village (for whatever reason), then perhaps that meant that the kinder side he was showing in London was not just an act after all, and instead was somehow more of a reflection of his true self. Although, she told herself, perhaps this was just wishful thinking…even though she had no idea what she was wishing for, exactly.

Charlotte was so busy thinking about her theories about Sidney Parker that she almost forgot to scan the grounds one more time-where a few of the King's Guards were currently on patrol-to make sure that Charles definitely wasn't working there. He wasn't.

After Charlotte had accepted that she would not be running into Charles as St James's Palace today, she and Sidney left the palace grounds and headed back to where the car was parked nearby, and they were driven towards Buckingham Palace, after Charlotte had persuaded Sidney that it would be a good idea to go there again to double check if Charles was working there today, as one of the King's Guards, in case he'd simply had some sort of day off yesterday.

It wasn't long before Charlotte was standing outside the same palace gates where she had stood only yesterday, and, yet again, she saw with her own eyes that Charles was again not among the guards who were standing outside Buckingham Palace today.

Charlotte tried not to feel too disappointed, telling herself that no matter what, it had still been worth another visit, even just to get to see the exterior of Buckingham Palace again. Even its gates and surrounding fence looked beautiful, and Charlotte happily posed for a few photos outside the gates, while Sidney kindly took photos of Charlotte with her phone, taking photos from different angles, so that Charlotte would have several photos to choose from to send to her family, and to upload to social media.

There were several couples posing for photos nearby, which was, Charlotte assumed, the reason why she and Sidney were soon mistaken for a couple by a small group of elderly tourists standing nearby, who enthusiastically offered to take a picture of Charlotte and Sidney together outside the palace gates with Charlotte's phone.

After a few half-hearted protests, Charlotte decided that it would probably just be quicker and easier to let them take the photo, and Sidney didn't seem to mind too much about posing for a photo with Charlotte, so the two of them stood together outside the palace gates, standing closer than they had so far, so that the tourists would not realise that the two of them didn't really know each other very well, but not as close as the actual couples all around them were standing.

The group of tourists beamed at Charlotte as they said their goodbyes, telling her that they had taken a 'lovely picture', and that she and Sidney were a 'beautiful couple' and then Charlotte and Sidney started to walk away from Buckingham Palace, heading in the direction of the nearest supermarket, with Charlotte having already explained that she would like to have a picnic of sorts in St James's Park.

Charlotte was struck by two things as she walked around the supermarket that wasn't too far from St James's Park, placing a few items such as cold drinks, salads and fruit in a basket-she was trying not to buy too much food for the picnic, as she knew that Sidney was going to be having a late lunch with his nieces and nephew later in the afternoon, and Charlotte was planning on going to a café or restaurant later in the day to get something to eat after Sidney had left to spend time with his nieces and nephew: The first was that it felt oddly…domestic, to be shopping in a supermarket with Sidney Parker, the two of them casually dressed as they shopped for food for a relaxed picnic at the park, just the two of them (Charlotte was aware that St James's Park was not exactly an average, every day park, but still…), with Sidney insisting on carrying the basket for Charlotte as she decided which items to purchase; it was the same warm, cozy feeling that Charlotte had felt when she was talking to Sidney late last night in the hotel lounge while wearing her pyjamas.

The second thing was that a few people in the supermarket seemed to recognise Sidney as they passed him and Charlotte in the aisles, glancing at him in that way that people did when they thought that they maybe recognised someone from television, or a newspaper, or social media, but could not quite place them and were too nervous to approach, which left Charlotte with even more questions about who Sidney was and what he did for a living.

After Charlotte and Sidney had paid for their purchases, they headed to St James's Park, which was very striking with its tall trees, its lake with a fountain in the middle and rays of sunlight reflecting on its surface, and several swans swimming in its waters.

As Charlotte and Sidney walked along the park's pathways, looking for somewhere to have their mini picnic (with Sidney carrying the picnic blanket borrowed from Mary that Charlotte had brought with her today and retrieved from the car just before they headed to the park), Charlotte noticed several other animals in the park crossing the paths, including ducks, squirrels and even pelicans in the distance.

Sidney walked almost next to Charlotte, wearing designer sunglasses now that were very similar to the ones he so often wore when he visited Willingden, yet, perhaps due their different surroundings today, Sidney looked more relaxed wearing them now, rather than the sunglasses making him look intimidating. Although, as they did in Willingden, the sunglasses still gave him an air of mystery.

Finally, Charlotte found a quieter spot in the park for the two of them to have their picnic, and they set up the picnic blanket on the grass, surrounded by bright yellow daffodils and under the gnarled branches of a tall tree.

As Charlotte sat down on the blanket and got comfortable, Sidney looked a bit hesitant. He remained standing, his stance professional, almost guarded, like he thought he would be better placed to stand guard and keep his distance while Charlotte relaxed and enjoyed the picnic alone. It seemed he was still determined to 'do the right thing' and give Charlotte her space while she was in London.

But Charlotte knew that that was not what she wanted. She was starting to enjoy Sidney's company; she felt calmer, when he was close by, especially in this big city that was still relatively unfamiliar to her. She did not want him to stand at a distance, disconnected from her in the way that he had always been in Willingden, watching over her now like some sort of bodyguard, or a colleague he barely knew; not when they had just spent time together in London today on more equal footing.

"It's alright, you can sit down with me, if you want," Charlotte told Sidney, gently patting the picnic blanket. "It is your day off, after all-you can relax; you do not have to stand guard," she added with a smile, keeping her tone light, although she could tell from the expression on Sidney's face that she had maybe just got a step closer to working out what he did for a living.

It seemed strange, to be giving Sidney Parker permission to do something, but it also seemed to be what Sidney needed in this moment, because he looked more comfortable about sitting down next to Charlotte now.

The sun continued to shine brightly in the sky, and they enjoyed their food in companionable silence for a little while, with the background noise of the birds singing in the trees, and the happy conversation of the couples who occasionally walked past on the nearby path. From where they were sitting, Buckingham Palace could be seen in the distance, as well as the park's beautiful lake. Charlotte tried not to think too much about her recent memory of Sidney Parker emerging half-naked from a different lake, as she didn't want to start blushing while Sidney was sitting close to her.

While they were eating, Sidney became temporarily distracted by a phone call from his sister, Diana, who was asking him for advice about the woodland holiday resort, and Charlotte took the time to look up any information she could find on her phone's Internet pages about Sidney's friend Georgiana, curious to know more about her before she attended her birthday party. It turned out that Georgiana was fairly well-known in London, from the information that Charlotte could see about her on various social media pages, and in a few online articles. Apparently, Georgiana stood to inherit a large fortune from her mother, who had been very successful in the business world, while Georgiana was also on her way to being very successful herself, owning various restaurants and coffee shops in the city.

After Sidney had finished his phone call, Charlotte and Sidney sat back a little, with Charlotte insisting again that it was okay for Sidney to relax a little, the two of them getting more comfortable as Charlotte continued to appreciate her surroundings, while trying not to think about how handsome Sidney looked, relaxing in the park on a sunny day, dressed casually in jeans, a T-shirt and sunglasses.

"This is the first time I've relaxed in one of the royal parks in years," Sidney admitted to Charlotte, still looking mildly surprised that he was able to just be here, doing nothing, no doubt instead of rushing off to do some sort of important duty.

"Is that because you are so often working?" Charlotte asked him, taking this opportunity to try to find out more about Sidney's work.

"Something like that," Sidney responded, a little vaguely.

"Is your job truly such a big secret, that it would be unsafe for you to talk about it in any detail?" Charlotte couldn't help asking him, curious to know, and also a little nervous that this was indeed the case.

"I am not some sort of spy, if that is what you are getting at," said Sidney, with an almost-smile and a hint of amusement in his voice, although his tone was reassuring, too, like he had picked up on Charlotte's genuine concerns and was trying to calm her nerves.

"I'll admit that I may have imagined you as a James-Bond-like character once or twice," Charlotte said in response, trying to lighten the mood, the words leaving her lips before she could even consider that they might sound a little flirtatious.

"Well, I am sorry to disappoint," said Sidney, still with that hint of amusement.

Charlotte almost told Sidney that he had not disappointed her at all since she had arrived in London-if anything, he had exceeded her expectations-but she felt that saying something like that would sound a bit too affectionate, when the two of them were still in the early stages of getting to know each other.

Sidney seemed to think very carefully about what he was going to say next. "You would be in no danger if you worked it out," he said, apparently sensing that Charlotte was eager for him to go into further detail. "I am simply not in the habit of revealing my profession to too many people, or of going into too much detail about my work, as it can lead to…complications, the more people that know about it. I deal with a lot of sensitive information and issues in my line of work, and dangerous situations, at times; it is the type of information that it would be unwise for me to so freely share, and often NDAs are required when I choose to reveal the details of my profession to others, as well as a lot of questions from…my boss, and his extensive team of staff as to what I have told to whom. Care has to be taken, as there is no shortage of undercover journalists in the city trying to find out information that they could make a sensationalist story out of, as well as those who would like to find out information simply for the sake of gossip."

"My close friends and family know what I do," Sidney continued, after a brief pause, "but I do not go into a lot of detail with them about the day-to-day reality of my work. It is often easier for the people in my life to not know too much about it, as they are then at less risk of being targeted by journalists who could seek to trick them into giving away valuable information about the person I work for. And then there is the information I simply cannot share for security reasons."

"But if I were to accidentally find out what you do while I am here…?" Charlotte asked Sidney, genuinely wondering if this would be such a terrible thing to happen, or if Sidney really didn't want her to know…

"Then I suppose there would be nothing I could do about that," said Sidney, with that almost-smile of his, his tone almost playful now.

Charlotte didn't exactly have all the answers she'd been looking for-not yet, anyway-but she felt a bit better now, with the confirmation that Sidney didn't seem to be doing anything wrong or illegal as part of his job (although she had sort of known this anyway, as she was certain that there was no way that Lady Denham would have advised Charlotte to spend time with Sidney in London if he hadn't had a respectable profession), and also in knowing that it would mostly be okay, if Charlotte were to find out what he did while she was in London.

They fell into silence again, although the silence did feel like a comfortable one.

Charlotte became distracted by a message that she received from her sister. Alison had sent Charlotte a photo of herself wearing her new England Women's Football Team shirt, as well as a copy of the press release that had recently been sent to the press to announce that Alison had joined the football team.

Charlotte felt a bit emotional as she looked at the picture and read the press release; it all felt so real on seeing them, and she was so happy for her sister.

She sent a few rapid replies to Alison by text, offering her congratulations and telling her sister how happy she was for her, and how wonderful she looked in her football shirt. Then Charlotte showed Sidney her sister's messages, because this felt like a celebration, and even though she didn't know Sidney very well, she just had to share this moment with someone.

"You must be very proud of your sister," Sidney told her with a smile, and Charlotte felt her heart start to beat faster, because it was so rare to see a real smile from Sidney, although she told herself she was just feeling giddy because she was so happy for her sister.

And Charlotte was happy for her, she really was…but there was some thought or feeling nagging at her as well; some strange emotion that was urging her to do some self-reflection about the direction she truly wanted her own life to go in…

"A penny for your thoughts…?" Sidney asked Charlotte, his tone pensive, and a hint of concern in his features.

Charlotte looked right into Sidney's eyes, and she could tell that he had sensed some other emotion behind Charlotte's happiness for her sister. It seemed like he really did want to know more about what she was thinking.

Charlotte told herself not to feel too flattered that Sidney seemed to have picked up on this hidden emotion, or that he was offering her the opportunity to confide in him, if she wished. She suspected that Sidney had to know how to read people well as part of his job; that he had developed the skill of picking up on changes in mood and emotions as this was beneficial to him somehow, in his line of work. She told herself not to take it as too personal a compliment, that Sidney had picked up on something deeper that was going on with her thoughts; that it was not a sign he was paying particular attention to her. And then Charlotte told herself that she shouldn't even care too much. She had come to London to find Charles, after all, and Sidney had simply agreed to help her, in a professional capacity, and his attentions clearly didn't go beyond his assistance with her task.

Still, Charlotte thought, there was no harm in confiding in Sidney about what had just been troubling her thoughts…

"Oh, it's just… she started to say, a bit hesitantly, "what with talking about your career, and seeing my sister's latest update, and reading about Georgiana and her career, as well as meeting the staff at the palace, and of course meeting your family and friends in their workplaces...all of it got me questioning whether what I am doing with my life is enough, or on a grand enough scale, or truly significant, and whether I am truly pushing myself to fulfil my dreams and ambitions…

Charlotte was well aware that she could just be overthinking a little bit when it came to these negative thoughts, perhaps due to tiredness, or still feeling a bit overwhelmed with being in a large, unfamiliar city, or through disappointment at not having found Charles and not feeling any closer to doing so, and worrying that she would probably not even be able to return his jacket and poetry book to him while she was here, let alone accomplish anything else, and the whole plan would likely be yet another failure for her, just like the night of the ball had been…but still, she suspected that these thoughts must have been hidden somewhere at the back of her mind for a while now, as hearing about the successful careers of those around her had brought them to the forefront of her mind rather quickly.

Sidney seemed to stare at Charlotte rather intently for a few moments before he spoke…

"Do you truly not believe that you...that what you do is important?" he asked her, looking a bit surprised that she was thinking this. "Charlotte…" he started to say, after another pause that felt even heavier this time, looking and sounding like he truly had something deep and meaningful to say to her; like he was about to impart wisdom and guidance that would be very useful for Charlotte to hear…

However, whatever Sidney had been about to say, Charlotte didn't get the opportunity to hear it, as he was suddenly interrupted by a call coming through on his phone.

The call was from Tom, who wanted to confirm the arrangements for the afternoon with his brother, and then there was a bit of a rush, because Tom seemed to want Sidney to pick the children up earlier than had been planned.

Charlotte started to pack up the remains of the picnic, trying not to feel too disappointed that the moment had been lost, and wondering if she would ever get to hear what Sidney had been about to say.

Chapter Text

Charlotte's thoughts seemed to weigh heavy on her mind as she travelled back to the hotel in Sidney's car after the visit to St James's park, perhaps in the way that a crown weighed heavy on the head of a monarch, although Charlotte knew that realistically, her current concerns were at nowhere near the same level as those of a reigning monarch.

Sidney was sitting opposite Charlotte in the back of the car. He was distracted by his phone, talking to his brother, Arthur, this time, with his sister, Diana, occasionally saying something loudly in the background as Arthur tried to explain a current dilemma to Sidney-it seemed Diana was concerned about Arthur's plans to be away from the holiday resort for a couple of days, and they both wanted some advice from their brother. Charlotte had a feeling that Sidney often had to mediate disagreements between his siblings.

And so, as Sidney's phone conversation continued, Charlotte was mostly left alone with her troubled thoughts. Again, she couldn't help thinking about how good a morning she had had with Sidney Parker, and how she was now feeling almost downhearted at having to part with him for the rest of the day.

It truly felt like the two of them were getting closer as they spent more time together in London (from Charlotte's perspective, at least), and this idea confused Charlotte somewhat, as she had never been particularly close to Sidney Parker before and had never imagined she ever would be. She had even felt like she disliked him at times. But now, something seemed to be changing between them, and Charlotte definitely didn't dislike Sidney anymore.

Her thoughts then drifted to thinking about how Sidney had seemed to have been about to say something important, or to share something important, with Charlotte back at the park, and for some reason, Charlotte really wanted to hear what he had been about to say. Unfortunately, they had been interrupted before Sidney could continue speaking, and Charlotte was worried that she may never know, even though she didn't know why the idea of not knowing what he was going to say bothered her so much. Perhaps Sidney had only been about to say something rather trivial anyway-small talk, maybe, or some sort of commentary on the weather, although this did not seem to be Sidney Parker's style.

Either way, Charlotte still felt a bit unsettled at the idea that she was wishing she could spend more time with Sidney Parker.

It didn't help that the photo that had recently been taken of the two of them by the group of tourists who had mistaken them for a couple, at the gates of Buckingham Palace, made it seem like the two of them really were close and emotionally connected, their body language looking comfortable as they posed for the photo with their arms around one another, happiness in their eyes. They looked like a real couple, and a happy one at that. Charlotte kept subtly glancing at the photo on her phone whenever she had the chance, the image making her feel even more confused.

There might have been a bit of traffic in and around the city, but it didn't take long for the car to arrive back at the hotel.

Sidney, having just finished his phone call, got out and held the door open for Charlotte after the car had stopped next to the pavement outside the hotel's front door. He stood back a bit, waiting by the car so that Charlotte could walk up the steps leading to the front door and head back into the hotel alone, but the moment Charlotte opened the front door, she was greeted by the sound of loud footsteps in the entrance hall, and next minute, three children, two girls and a boy, who had to be Sidney's nieces and nephew, were running towards the door from inside the hotel.

"Uncle Sidney!" the children called out enthusiastically, running towards their uncle as Sidney moved a bit closer to the door to greet them.

The children ran into Sidney's arms, and Sidney managed to lift all three of them up at once in a hug, all three children talking enthusiastically to him at once while Sidney replied to their questions.

Sidney's nieces and nephew looked so happy to see Sidney, and he looked so happy to see them. It was clear that they were close, and Charlotte also felt strangely happy, even though she was basically the outsider at this small gathering, at getting to see Sidney so unguarded like this, smiling and carefree.

It was also heartwarming to Charlotte, to see that Sidney's nieces were dressed up like little princesses, complete with tiaras and flowing dresses, while his nephew was dressed up like a little prince.

Charlotte looked over her shoulder and noticed Mary in the hallway, carrying a baby, who Charlotte knew to be her youngest child, in her arms. She was followed by Tom, who looked a bit stressed out, as he had often looked over the past few days.

Sidney gently put the children back down, and then he stood up a little straighter as he looked in Tom's direction and a confused expression crossed his face. "I thought we had arranged for me to collect the children from your home?" Sidney asked Tom, looking momentarily concerned that he had misunderstood the arrangements, something which it seemed unlikely Sidney Parker ever did, especially in his line of work.

"Ah, yes, well, slight change of plan," said Tom, a little sheepishly. "The children's nanny's not been feeling too good today, and I had a few repairs to take care of in the hotel, and, well, I know it will make the journey to the restaurant slightly longer, but I thought it would just be easier to bring the children here, so that you could collect them a bit earlier-"

Sidney looked like he was about to say something else, but he became distracted from his conversation with Tom when he noticed that the children were watching Charlotte with curious expressions on their faces.

"Charlotte," said Sidney, as he started to introduce them, "these are my nieces, Alicia and Jenny, and this is my nephew, Henry. And of course, my nephew, James," he added, as he nodded in the direction of the baby in Mary's arms. "Children, this is Charlotte Hey-"

"I know you!" Sidney's niece Alicia told Charlotte as she interrupted her uncle when a flash of recognition crossed her face, followed by a smile. "You work at the bookshop in Willingden!"

"We went there!" Henry added, as Charlotte nodded and smiled in answer to Alicia.

"It was magical!" said Jenny. "You told us fairytale stories and we pretended to be princes and princesses and characters from stories!"

"Are there going to be anymore story time afternoons, Charlotte?" Alicia asked her, enthusiasm written all over her face.

"I think there soon will be," Charlotte responded with another smile. "In fact, I'm already planning my next one. I've recently ordered some new fairytale books for my next children's storytelling session…"

"Which books?" Jenny and Alicia asked her eagerly in unison, and so Charlotte started to tell them about the orders she had placed for new copies of Snow White, Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood.

The children then asked Charlotte more questions about the bookshop, and about the people who lived in Willingden, giggling when Charlotte told them about some of the fancy outfits that Lady Denham (their great grandmother) often wore whenever she visited the bookshop.

They also told Charlotte about their plans for the afternoon-they were going to a Peter Pan themed afternoon tea at The Shard, where they would get to experience not only delicious Peter Pan themed food, but also beautiful views of the River Thames.

Charlotte found herself secretly wishing that she was going-she had enjoyed reading Peter Pan throughout her childhood, often staying up late with her sister at weekends to watch the film, and she now made sure to stock various editions of the book in her bookshop. She was sure that the children would have a wonderful afternoon at The Shard with their uncle, and she only hoped that she would have the opportunity, and enough money, to return to London one day in the near future to experience afternoon tea at The Shard, too. Perhaps she could go with Charles one day, if they ever reunited.

"We should be getting going soon," Sidney told the children after a few minutes of conversation. "We have a table booked, and we don't want to arrive late-"

"Can Charlotte come, too?" Alicia asked, while Henry and Jenny nodded enthusiastically in agreement, the three of them apparently oblivious to Mary's concerned mumblings about how Charlotte might have already made plans for the afternoon.

"Oh, that's okay," Charlotte said quickly, noticing that Sidney looked a bit awkward on hearing his niece's question, "you've already made your reservation for the four of you, and you have had this planned for a while…"

"Please?" the children asked Sidney in a pleading tone, apparently unbothered by adult concerns such as the practicalities of the booking, and perhaps sensing that their uncle would ultimately have the deciding vote.

"You are welcome to join us, if you wish," Sidney said to Charlotte, in a low voice, and he sounded like he genuinely meant it; like she really would be welcome there. "If you do not have other plans this afternoon, that is," he added. I have no doubt that you would enjoy the fairytale theme of the afternoon tea at The Shard, but I know you are keen to continue your search for Charles, and I am aware that you are on a bit of a time limit in London-"

"I haven't made any definite plans for the afternoon," Charlotte admitted, a little sheepishly, as she started to wonder whether she was now becoming a bit too dependent on Sidney to guide her around the city, as she was apparently no longer making plans that didn't include him. "I was simply going to retrace some of my steps to see if I could discover any further clues. But I do not wish to impose," she added hurriedly, feeling a little apprehensive that she was doing just that.

She was very aware that she had already taken up a lot of Sidney Parker's time this week; time that he would likely have been spending with his family and close friends, if he had not promised to help Charlotte in London, and Charlotte did not want to take up even more of his free time, especially when he hadn't exactly invited her to, until he had been pressured by his nieces and nephew.

"Besides, I understand that you might not usually have as much time as you would like to spend with your nieces and nephews," she told Sidney in barely more than a whisper, "with the hours that you have to work, and I don't want to take that time away from you-"

"You would not be imposing," Sidney insisted, his tone firm. "I am sure the children would be happy to spend more time with you…"

Charlotte wasn't sure if she imagined it, but for a moment, she was certain that she detected an undercurrent of, 'as would I…' in Sidney's words as he ended that sentence, something that he perhaps felt he could not say out loud.

"Please, Charlotte?" the children asked her, and Charlotte knew it would be very difficult to say no to the pleading looks on their faces.

The truth was that Charlotte really did want to go, not only to try a Peter Pan themed afternoon tea, and to spend more time with Alicia, Henry and Jenny, who she was sure she would enjoy spending the rest of the day with, but also because it suddenly felt strangely refreshing, the idea of doing something in London that was not related to her search for Charles, just for the joy of it. But still, she didn't want to get in the way of Sidney spending quality time with his nieces and nephew, when it was clear that he already didn't get to spend as much time with them as he would have liked.

"Uncle Sidney never brings other grown ups on our days out now," said Jenny.

"Yes," said Alicia, as she nodded solemnly in agreement with her sister, "I think he'd like to have another grown up there to talk to…"

Charlotte smiled, a bit amused by Sidney's obvious embarrassment at his nieces' comments, but she then also felt a strange twist of discomfort at the idea that the 'other grown up' who Sidney had last brought on a day out with his nieces and nephew had likely been his ex-girlfriend.

The slightly uncomfortable look that crossed Sidney's face seemed to confirm to Charlotte that he was probably thinking the same thing.

"Oh, okay, then," Charlotte agreed quickly, more to change the subject and distract herself from her uncomfortable thoughts about Sidney's ex-girlfriend than anything else. "If your uncle truly doesn't mind…?"

"I truly don't mind," Sidney confirmed, his tone authoritative, although there was a hint of amusement there now, too.

"Then I would love to join you all," said Charlotte. "Thank you for inviting me."

"Yay!" the children cheered, jumping up and down a few times in celebration.

Charlotte felt like joining in with the celebrations. Now that her invite was confirmed, she was really looking forward to this afternoon out, and not because she was hoping to find Charles as a result of it, which again felt rather refreshing.

A few minutes later, Mary and Tom waved goodbye to Charlotte, Sidney and the children, whishing them a happy afternoon, and then Charlotte and Sidney headed back to the waiting car with Alicia, Jenny and Henry, with baby James, who was still a bit young for afternoon tea, staying with his parents.

"You all look wonderful!" Charlotte told the children as they got into the car, and the children beamed at her, before they started talking about their prince and princess themed outfits.

The children greeted Sidney's driver, Anna, enthusiastically as they got into their seats and fastened their seatbelts, and then they continued their lively conversations as Anna drove them towards The Shard, the three of them telling Charlotte about everything they had been doing in London over the summer, from museum visits to open top bus tours, and even a boat trip on the River Thames. Charlotte thought about how wonderful it would be, to live in a city like London and have all those varied and interesting things to do on one's doorstep.

The children were also eager to get to know Charlotte better, asking her more questions about her job, her life in Willingden and her family, and even about her favourite fairytales. She did notice that Henry was a bit shyer than his sisters and talked more to his uncle.

Travelling from the hotel, instead of Tom and Mary's house, had apparently added more time onto the journey, but still it didn't feel like much time passed before the car arrived at their destination, and it wasn't long before Charlotte, Sidney and the children were standing outside the tall London landmark that was The Shard, gazing up at the building in awe. There were lots of 'oohs' and 'ahhs' from the children as they looked up at the building, and Charlotte couldn't help but be caught up in their enthusiasm. She could still hardly believe that she was here today; that she was about to go into this building and view London's skyline from its upper floors.

Sidney, Charlotte and the children walked through revolving doors into the building, with Sidney carrying Henry, and Alicia and Jenny walking next to Charlotte. They took the lift to the thirty-first floor, where the Aqua Shard, the restaurant where they would be having their afternoon tea, was located.

The enthusiasm was written all over the children's faces as the lift made its journey to the thirty-first floor, and there were a few gasps of, "Wow!" as they all stepped out of the lift and took in their surroundings-the black and gold walls, the black tiled floor and the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the River Thames.

The restaurant staff greeted the children with a smile, with most of them seeming to already know Sidney Parker as they went to shake his hand, and again Charlotte suspected that Sidney was well-known in London.

Sidney spoke to a few of the waiters in a low voice for a few moments, and none of them seemed to have any issue with adding Charlotte on to the booking. Sidney had such an authoritative air that Charlotte doubted that anyone in London would refuse him anything.

One of the waiters showed the five of them to their reserved table, which had chairs with gold covers and was near enough to the windows that they could continue to appreciate the view of London's landmarks.

A few of the other tables in the restaurant were also occupied, and there were enough people there that there was a pleasant atmosphere, with the chatter at the other tables providing a cheerful background noise.

After they had sat down at the table and started to read their menus, Charlotte thought about how good Sidney was with the children; that perfect mix of protective and caring as they'd headed into the building and stepped into the lift, while also clearly having a playful side to him as he laughed at the children's jokes and told them stories. Charlotte had never pictured Sidney Parker spending time in a place like this, at a Peter Pan afternoon tea, with nieces and a nephew dressed like princesses and a prince, but here, Sidney did not walk around as though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He looked happy here, and relaxed. It was something of a new experience to Charlotte, to see Sidney like this, when she had been so used to the cold and distant Sidney Parker in Willingden. It was fascinating to Charlotte, to get to see him with his guard dropped when he was with the people he clearly felt comfortable being around.

The afternoon tea really was Peter Pan themed, with the menus on the table in the form of a map of Neverland, and there were also silhouettes of Peter Pan characters, along with colourful plastic swords, displayed on the plates, and even napkins with 'Lost Boy Rules' printed on them, including: No talking to pirates; believe in fairytales; think happy thoughts; and never grow up.

Charlotte felt a child-like enthusiasm as she took pictures of the plates and napkins while she enjoyed her cup of tea, aptly named 'Darling Tea', which was a blend of black tea with rose petals.

She chose from the selection of sandwiches on the afternoon tea stand when it was brought to the table, including chicken, cucumber and egg mayonnaise sandwiches, as well as mushroom-shaped pastries, and she was so happy to experience the afternoon tea with three children who clearly saw the whole thing as being truly magical. Charlotte was grateful that Sidney had allowed Charlotte to share this experience with them, as it was clear that he cherished his time with his nieces and nephew.

As they ate their sandwiches, and the children enjoyed cold drinks while Charlotte continued to drink her tea, and Sidney drank a cup of coffee, the children talked about various editions of Peter Pan books that they had read, as well as their experiences of watching the film, and seeing the play performed at the theatre, including a recent performance they had seen at an open air theatre in Regent's Park.

The conversation soon turned to the children's visits to the seaside town of Sanditon in the spring, and it seemed that it was a place that the children always enjoyed visiting…

"There are lots of pretty shops and teashops!" said Alicia.

"And there are horses on the beach!" said Jenny.

"Last year, we went to watch the boat races on the river!" said Alicia.

"And we went to the beach every day," said Jenny.

"We took part in a sandcastle competition!" both girls said at the same time.

"We got second place, but I still think our sandcastle for the competition was the best," said Alicia, while Jenny nodded.

"I don't think Eliza was very impressed with our sandcastles when she visited Sanditon, though," said Jenny.

Charlotte glanced at Sidney, and she could see a look of…something had just crossed his face; for a moment, it was as though a dark cloud passed over his face, and Charlotte just knew that Eliza had to be the name of his ex-probably the blonde woman who Charlotte had occasionally seen Sidney walking through the village of Willingden with, and, from the current look on Sidney's face, the relationship, or the breakup, held painful memories for him.

His facial expression quickly changed however to a more neutral expression, and, not for the first time, Charlotte sensed that Sidney Parker was something of an expert at hiding his true emotions; perhaps he was often in circumstances where he felt he had to.

"I'm sure she liked them," Sidney said quickly, "she just…wasn't used to attending sandcastle competitions…they are not held in many places, and it is...quite rare to have the opportunity to attend one."

"What else do you like to do in Sanditon?" Charlotte asked the children, searching for a distraction, and trying not to think about why she didn't want to focus on Eliza either.

Sidney gave her a grateful look as the children started to talk about all the houses in pastel colours in Sanditon, and their time spent walking among the hills that overlooked the beach.

They also talked more about books and stories, with the children asking Charlotte what her favourite books were.

Charlotte named a few of her favourite classic novels that she liked to read in her flat during the evenings when she had a spare moment, or by the fireplace at the pub in Willingden.

"Uncle Sidney likes that book, too!" the children responded, every time Charlotte named a book she liked, usually followed with, "Uncle Sidney has that book on his bookshelf in his apartment!"

And yet again, Charlotte suspected that Sidney was more passionate about books than he had led her to believe, and therefore, despite Alison's insistence that Sidney frequently visited the bookshop in Willingden to see Charlotte, it seemed even more likely that his interest in books was the more logical explanation for his regular visits.

It wasn't long after that that the dessert was brought over to the table. In keeping with the Peter Pan theme, the dessert arrived in a little pirate ship with a smoke effect, in which there were little wooden treasure chests containing scones of different flavours, with coconut added to the scones' clotted cream, as well as chocolate coins, puff pastry in the shape of Peter Pan's hat, Tinkerbell shortbread and chocolate mouse mixed with cherry jam.

Charlotte took a few moments to take some pictures and videos of the pirate ship with its smoke effect before they all enjoyed the delicious range of desserts, with the children telling an imaginative story about sailing on a ship to a magical land in search of treasure as they ate. It was clear that books and stories were a part of their daily lives, which Charlotte thought was wonderful.

"Uncle Sidney," Alicia said suddenly, after the three children had finished telling their story, "tell us a story!"

"Please?" said Jenny and Henry in unison as they turned to their uncle with pleading eyes.

Charlotte was a bit taken aback by the request, but a quick glance at the expressions on the children's faces suggested that Sidney regularly told them stories when he was spending time with them, and that this was therefore not an unusual occurrence for any of them.

"Very well," said Sidney after a few moments of thought, giving the impression of someone who would ordinarily refuse such a request from others but would never deny his nieces and nephew something that they wanted to hear. "Which story would you like to hear?"

"Can you tell us the story about the knight?" asked Henry, after a few moments of deliberation with his sisters in which the siblings discussed the possibility of hearing 'the story about the dragon', or 'the story about the magical cave at the beach', and Alicia and Jenny nodded in agreement with their brother.

Charlotte shook her head almost in a sense of disbelief, surprised that she was seeing yet another facet to Sidney Parker's personality. It seemed he was a man of many layers, and she was learning something new about him every day. She thought it was very sweet, that Sidney frequently made up stories to tell to his nieces and nephew.

"Are you sure you want to hear the story of the knight again?" Sidney asked his nieces and nephew, the implication clearly being that they had heard this story many times before.

"Yes!" all three children insisted, and Charlotte almost joined in, very curious to hear what this story was about.

For a moment, Sidney looked a bit hesitant, and Charlotte wondered if this was something of a personal story, but then the hesitation seemed to leave his face at yet another, "Please?" from the children, and Charlotte decided that she must have been wrong in her assumption of his hesitation.

"Very well…Once upon a time," Sidney began, with the air of someone who had told this particular story many times before but was still happy to tell it to his captive audience, "there was a knight who lived in a beautiful castle. He dutifully served the king and queen who owned the castle, but the knight often felt like an outsider there, in a way he couldn't quite explain…"

The children leaned forward a little in their seats, as though trying to hear the story better in a room where they were surrounded by other conversations.

"Over time," Sidney continued, "the castle started to grow old and dark, and the walls had started to crumble, and the people who visited did not seem to be very kind. As the castle began to feel ever more empty, the knight started to spend more time in the dark and mysterious forest that surrounded it. The forest might have seemed rather scary to the outside observer, but the knight felt a sense of peace there, being in nature. He occasionally sought guidance from the wise women who lived there, who sometimes shared their wisdom with him, while mostly leaving the solitary knight alone with his thoughts."

Charlotte felt her eyes slowly widening in shock. This story sounded very familiar…

"The forest could be a peaceful place," said Sidney, "but it was not without its dangers. The knight occasionally had to fend off the wolves-and the other dangerous creatures who lurked in the forest-whenever they tried to attack, using his bow and arrow, but this was a small price to pay for the escape and solitude the forest provided him, and he was honoured to protect the innocent creatures who lived there, the unicorns included…"

Charlotte covered her mouth with her hand, struggling to suppress a gasp of shock. How could Sidney's story sound so familiar to her own recurring dream? Could it simply be a coincidence?

Perhaps, Charlotte thought, but somehow, it felt like more than that.

Charlotte had never really shared her dream with anyone, and she did not believe the dream to be directly based on any book that she had already read, and so she had no idea how Sidney could possibly be familiar with the details of it. It was all so strange, but she decided she would have to try to think about that later, so as not to seem too distracted or to look too obviously shocked while the children were listening to the story.

"But was the knight truly happy?" Alicia asked, with the air of someone who had asked this question many times before, and already knew the answer.

"He believed himself to be, I suppose," Sidney responded. "He was surrounded by the peace and the tranquility of the forest, and he had the wise women, and the unicorns, for company. Although he did feel a sense of loneliness at times, as though there were something missing…"

"And then, one day," he added, "seemingly out of nowhere, the knight started to see something, among the trees…He only caught glimpses at first-a light among the shadows, but gradually, the vision became clearer, and the knight eventually started to work out that he was not seeing something but someone in the forest-a woman who looked like a beautiful princess, wearing a ballgown and looking like she had just stepped right out of a fairytale…or perhaps right into a fairytale, although the knight had never felt as though his own story were a fairytale. The knight was intrigued as to why the princess was there in the first place, as princesses rarely ventured into the dark forest. She appeared to be running away from something, but she did not yet seem ready to reveal any secrets to the knight, or to tell him if there was something she was trying to escape from. All the knight knew was that he would help to protect the princess from any enemy, if that was what she wanted."

"And how did the knight feel when he could finally see the beautiful princess clearly?" Jenny asked Sidney, while Charlotte still felt like she was in something of a state of shock.

"Well, he felt rather conflicted," said Sidney. "After all, he was not a prince or a king like the characters in typical fairytales," he explained. "The knights in those stories don't typically get to be the heroes who are granted happily ever after. Her appearance seemed too good to be true, as though it were not meant for him; she looked like the embodiment of a sort of true happiness that was always just out of the knight's reach. He doubted that she was there to see him. After all, the knight in the fairytale does not typically ride off into the sunset with the princess, the heroine of the story…and yet, the dark forest did not seem so lonely anymore, and something about seeing the princess among the shadows of the forest gave him hope, and faith that maybe all had not been lost, and maybe at last the typical fairytale story could be rewritten…"

Charlotte had been wondering if the children would not be fond of that particular story, what with them being used to conventional fairytale happy endings, where all the loose ends were tied up and the main characters lived happily ever after, while this story definitely had more of an open ending that was mostly left to interpretation as Sidney finished telling it, but the look of appreciation on the children's faces suggested that they really did like the story, perhaps because it was a bit different. Perhaps this was the typical kind of story that their Uncle Sidney told them, and they seemed to like his style of storytelling.

"Thanks, Uncle Sidney!" said Alicia with a smile, while Jenny and Henry nodded.

The children then looked at Charlotte for her reaction…

"What an interesting story," Charlotte managed to say, hoping that the shock and surprise weren't written too obviously all over her face, even though she felt like the story had left her with hundreds of new questions, and even more confusion.

Before she could say anything else however, they were all distracted by the arrival of even more Peter Pan themed desserts, which the waiters had brought to the table as an extra treat for the children, while also bringing sparkling 'Fairy Dust' cocktails for Charlotte and Sidney to try.

It wasn't long after that that they had finished all their food and drinks, and Sidney very kindly paid the bill even though Charlotte offered to help pay.

Sidney, Charlotte and the children then spent a bit of time looking out of the large windows, admiring the view of some of London's iconic monuments, including the London Eye and Tower Bridge, which Charlotte tried to focus on so she would not obsess too much over the story that Sidney had just told.

There was something peaceful and relaxing, Charlotte thought, about looking at the views from the floor-to-ceiling windows with Sidney and his nieces and nephew by her side, after they had spent a lovely afternoon together. She felt like she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

The children wanted to take some photos of the views from the windows, and it wasn't long before a couple who had been sitting at a table nearby offered to take a photo of the five of them together on Sidney's phone, probably mistaking Charlotte and Sidney for a couple, as others had already done.

The photo looked beautiful however, and Charlotte knew it reflected the happiness of the afternoon. It was one of those sorts of moments that she wished she could stay in forever.

After that, they spent a little while longer looking out of the large windows. And then it was time to leave the restaurant and head back down to the ground floor in the lift.

Alicia and Jenny held Charlotte's hands in the lift, while Henry also stood close to her. Charlotte and Sidney's eyes met in the lift as it made its way back down to the ground, and Sidney smiled politely at her, although he seemed a bit distracted, and the smile did not quite meet his eyes, where there was a hint of sadness, or regret, or perhaps it was more a look of longing as he watched Charlotte laugh and joke with the children; a longing for something he had never even had in the first place, if Charlotte was not mistaken.

There was a sense of calmness and contentment in the car on the journey home, with everyone feeling relaxed, and perhaps a bit sleepy, after a beautiful afternoon at The Shard.

Henry sat next to Sidney in the car, looking like he might fall asleep at any moment, while Alicia and Jenny sat next to Charlotte, with Jenny reading a book, and Alicia leaning into Charlotte as she looked out the window, watching the streets of London go by.

Charlotte was lost in her own thoughts, thinking about how wonderful the day had been, and how lucky she had been to have had the unexpected opportunity to visit The Shard, and how nice it had been, in a strange way, to do something in London that hadn't revolved around her search for Charles, and had still felt almost like a fairytale anyway. She thought about how right it felt, to have spent another day with Sidney, and she didn't know if this thought calmed her or confused her.

And then there was the story that Sidney had told the children during the afternoon tea, with its unexplained similarities to Charlotte's recurring dream, which was still very much on her mind and had only served to confuse her even more. The similarity of that story with Charlotte's dream had to be more than a coincidence, didn't it?

"Penny for your thoughts…?"

The sound of Sidney Parker's voice distracted Charlotte from her rather complicated thoughts and brought her focus back to Sidney in the present moment, who was watching Charlotte with a quizzical expression on his face, apparently having picked up on something in Charlotte's facial expression.

Charlotte thought carefully about how to respond. She felt like there was so much she could tell Sidney, but she didn't quite know how to put any of it into words. She didn't even know how she could explain it all to herself at the moment; her time in London seemed to be creating more mysteries than it was solving.

The children were almost asleep now, and so Charlotte was even more aware of the silence in the car.

"I was thinking…" Charlotte finally settled on saying, "about the story you told your nieces and nephew, about the knight in the forest…and I was wondering, what was it that inspired it?"

Sidney seemed to be carefully considering how to respond, as there were a few moments of silence while he too seemed lost in thought.

"I suppose you could say that it was mostly inspired by an unusual dream I was having during a rather strange time in my life," Sidney finally said in response, with a frown briefly crossing his face like a storm cloud might cross a blue sky.

There was a hint of some sort of pain there, amidst the sense of hesitation, and Charlotte could tell that there was maybe a bit more to the story about this particular time of his life; aspects of it that he did not want to discuss, especially in the presence of his nieces and nephew; a deeper reason why the story of the knight had appeared in his mind in the first place, with the knight in the forest likely being a metaphor for something else in Sidney's life, but there was also a sense of confusion there, too, like Sidney was just as baffled by his recurring dream as Charlotte was.

His recurring dream…

Charlotte couldn't help blinking in surprise a few times on hearing Sidney's words about his story being based on a dream.

She felt like this apparent link between their dreams only added to the sense of mystery.

Could it be that their hopes and dreams, and their stories, were somehow entwined?

Chapter Text

Charlotte felt like she was a bit lost in her thoughts when she arrived back at the hotel after the afternoon tea. She'd managed to say a cheerful goodbye to Sidney and the children, thanking them for a lovely afternoon, but now, she was a bit disorientated, even in her own daydreams.

She kept replaying the day that she had just had in her mind-the visit to Clarence House; the picnic in St James's Park; and of course, the unexpected invite to the Peter Pan themed afternoon tea, where Charlotte had had something of a magical afternoon.

Talking of magic…

Charlotte couldn't get Sidney's story of the knight out of her mind, in particular the apparent links between that story and Charlotte's recurring dream. She just couldn't understand how the dream and the story could be so similar, without there being some sort of explanation or meaning behind it all.

She wondered if she should tell Sidney about her recurring dream, although she did feel a bit embarrassed at the very thought of doing so. Surely it would sound a bit unbelievable now, she thought, if she were to tell Sidney about her dream after hearing him tell his story.

She decided to wait and see if a moment came up when it felt like the right time to tell him.

Still in something of a daze, Charlotte headed up to her hotel room, where she sat at the window seat, relaxing a little as she watched the world go by outside, grateful for a moment of solitude after a busy couple of days, and a rare opportunity to admire the view of London from the comfort of her room.

After about a quarter of an hour of looking out the window, Charlotte received a phone call from her mother, who, much to Charlotte's surprise, mentioned that she was thinking about reducing her hours working at Charlotte's father's company in the village, so that she could work there part-time.

"Yes, I think now is the right time," Charlotte's mother told her, when Charlotte asker her more about her plans. "Your father is quite well established in his business now, and he often has people in the village asking if he is looking for new staff; he will easily fill those hours. Besides, it would mean that I'd have more time available to travel to support your sister at her matches, not to mention that I would also be able to work some hours at your bookshop during the week, if that's something you would like, Charlotte. You seem to be having such a good time in London, and an extra pair of hands at the bookshop would give you more opportunities to travel, or to expand the business…"

Charlotte's mother's words seem to echo down the phone, and in Charlotte's thoughts, making her think of new possibilities…It was a tempting offer, Charlotte thought, to have her mother working some regular hours at her bookshop. She knew that if this happened, she would be able to take more time off, visit more places, perhaps make real plans to do more with the business…possibilities that had only been a distant dream up to now, but now, they could be real opportunities.

Charlotte couldn't imagine giving up her bookshop business in Willingden, but she had a feeling that, just like Alison, her mother had also sensed that deep down, Charlotte was longing for some sort of change in her life.

On the other hand, Charlotte didn't want to get too far ahead of herself. It was still early days, and her mother hadn't made her final decision yet. Besides, Charlotte had always been very independent, when it came to running her bookshop, and she didn't want to become too dependent on her mother helping with the business, especially as her mother would also need a lot of time to travel to visit Alison.

Charlotte talked to her mother for a little while longer, telling her all about the landmarks she had visited in London so far, before they talked about Alison, and how her football training was going.

After the call had ended, Charlotte decided to head back downstairs to the hotel lounge, where she was planning on sitting in a comfortable chair, and maybe reading a book or striking up a conversation with other guests.

In the lounge, Charlotte chose a book of fairytales from the bookshelves, and she glanced at a few of the pages and the pictures before she was joined in the room by Angela, the elderly lady who was also staying at the hotel. Angela listened with a smile as Charlotte told her about the fairytale-themed party she would be attending tomorrow at The Fable, telling Charlotte that she was reminded of her own youth in London.

"A party is the perfect place to find one's true love," Angela told Charlotte with a smile and a knowing wink.

Secretly, Charlotte thought Angela was perhaps being a bit optimistic. Charlotte had thought she might have met her 'true love' at the last party she had attended, but then her 'prince' had vanished at midnight, and had still not been found. Charlotte had no reason to believe that she would have any better luck at the next party she attended.

Still, she enjoyed her conversation with Angela, with her new friend even teaching her some knitting. Charlotte tried to copy Angela's hand movements with the knitting needles, although she knew she didn't have the knitting skills that Angela did.

After Angela had wished Charlotte goodnight and headed up to bed, Charlotte was then joined in the lounge by Tom and Mary, who were taking a bit of time to rest after a busy day at work before heading home. Both looked tired, and Charlotte made them a cup of tea, even though they both insisted that she didn't have to do that, while Charlotte equally insisted that she wanted to. They talked happily with Charlotte as they drank their tea, telling her about the history of the hotel.

Charlotte asked Tom and Mary if they would be attending Georgiana's party tomorrow night, but they told her that they would not be attending, partly because they usually had to work at the hotel on Friday nights, as most guests arrived at the end of the week.

"We don't really attend many late-night parties anymore," Mary explained to Charlotte. "Not with the demands of the hotel business, and of course our four children. We are usually trying to get as much sleep as possible. Besides, it should be an evening for you young ones to go and have fun, and let your hair down and stay up late," she added, sounding older than she actually was.

"And we have arranged a birthday lunch with Georgiana on Saturday afternoon," said Tom, "so that we can still see her on the day of her birthday."

Charlotte was suddenly reminded that by Saturday afternoon, she would already have checked out of the hotel, as her stay here would be over, and, unless her plans changed by the weekend, she would likely already be on her way back to Willingden, possibly without having found Charles.

She felt an unexpected sadness at the thought of leaving London. She was also remined of how little time she had left to do what she had come here to do.

Not long after Mary and Tom left the hotel to head home for the night, Charlotte decided to go up to her room to get ready for bed, as she wanted to get a good night's sleep in preparation for tomorrow.

She had just got into bed after changing into her pyjamas when she saw a recent text message from Sidney Parker. Feeling a bit surprised that Sidney was contacting her in the evening, Charlotte quickly read the message.

In his message, Sidney explained that he'd not long left an in-person meeting he'd attended this evening. He told Charlotte that he had just driven back home to his apartment, and was wondering if he could call her to discuss the plans for tomorrow evening.

Charlotte got the impression that Sidney frequently had to fit in phone calls to people he knew around other responsibilities, and that these calls sometimes ended up being at night.

Charlotte answered his message quickly, telling Sidney that he could call her.

She smiled a bit at the idea that Sidney had actually been thinking about calling her on his journey home, as no man had ever really made the time to talk to her after work, but then Charlotte hurriedly reminded herself that this didn't necessarily mean that Sidney really wanted to talk to her, it was more that he had something practical to discuss, and he was trying to find the time to do so.

"I didn't wake you, did I?" Sidney asked when Charlotte answered his call, with genuine concern in his tone.

"No, it's fine, I have not yet tried to get to sleep," Charlotte reassured him, feeling unexpectedly glad to hear Sidney's voice, even though she had only seen him a few hours ago. She hoped that she did not sound too tired. "It's still quite early, I suppose. Did everything go okay with your meeting? And did you drop the children off okay?"

"Oh…yes," said Sidney, with the hesitant air of someone who was not used to calling people he barely knew in the evening to engage in casual conversation, or to talk about his day. "I dropped the children back off with their nanny this afternoon-they enjoyed their afternoon tea with you, by the way; they told me several times in the car."

This made Charlotte smile. "I enjoyed spending time with them, too," she responded. And with you…she almost added, without thinking, perhaps due to her sleepiness, but she quickly stopped herself, feeling like it would be a bit too much, to say something like that to Sidney Parker.

Sidney then explained to Charlotte that he had been asked to attend another work meeting tomorrow morning, to go over the logistics of an upcoming event-it seemed that Sidney's time off was rapidly coming to an end, and now his work demands were increasing again-but he said that he would still have enough time to get ready for the party and pick Charlotte up from the hotel in the evening.

Charlotte couldn't help feeling disappointed at the idea that she would not be spending any time with Sidney during the day tomorrow, but she told herself that she was being ridiculous-Sidney was a busy man, and they had made no definite plans for the daytime before tomorrow's party, and Charlotte had a few accessories to purchase before the party anyway, and she would be spending time with Sidney during the evening. She wondered why she was suddenly so eager to be spending more time with him.

"I spoke with Georgiana to confirm the plans for tomorrow," Sidney continued. "She had some concerns," he said, sounding a bit hesitant again, as though worried about alarming Charlotte in any way, "that undercover journalists or photographers might show up at the party, due to quite a few of the guests being in the public eye. Georgiana is also regularly photographed by the paparazzi, due to her success in the business world…"

"It must be difficult," said Charlotte, thinking out loud more than anything, "to have the constant worry of encountering paparazzi at private events, or even when simply walking down the street…"

"Yes..." said Sidney in agreement.

There was something in his tone that suggested he could say a lot more on the matter, but he seemed to think better of it. Perhaps he would have said more, if he had known Charlotte a little better.

"Anyway," he continued, "I assured Georgiana that measures have been put in place to ensure that she can enjoy her evening without worrying too much-security at the doors to check the guest list; the staff at the venue briefed to ensure they keep an eye out for any uninvited guests; there are even alternative entrances and exits, just in case any photographers show up at the main doors. Georgiana has also advised her friends not to share too much about the party on social media, until after the event."

"That sounds sensible," said Charlotte. "Still, you should try to enjoy the party," she added. "It will be your night off, after all."

Sidney sounded amused as Charlotte said these words.

"What's so funny?" she asked him.

"My grandmother said very similar words to me, the last time I spoke to her on the phone," he said.

"Then you should listen to her," Charlotte told him with a smile.

"I thought you might say that," Sidney replied.

Charlotte still almost couldn't believe that she was talking to Sidney Parker on the phone, at night, while she was lying in bed, after having spent the day with him. A week ago, she would never have believed it. It felt…relaxing, almost, to be talking to him while she got comfortable in her hotel room bed.

A part of her really wanted to tell Sidney about her dream now, and its apparent link with his story of the knight, but she also felt like this wasn't the right moment; she didn't know if there would ever be a right moment. And, in some ways, Charlotte was anxious that the lines would be blurred even further, now that they were getting closer, if she told Sidney about something as personal as her recurring dream.

"My…colleagues…would also not be overly impressed, if I were to appear in paparazzi photos while attending the party," Sidney added, after a brief silence, the hesitation back in his voice, "My job requires that I am discreet about that sort of thing, and so I thought it would be best to be extra cautious."

There was almost a…vulnerability in Sidney's tone, behind the seriousness of his words, like he was letting Charlotte know that issues like this-worries about security and avoiding paparazzi and looking at the logistics of attending events were a part of his life, even though he was not thrilled that this was the case, and that he could only hope that the people he chose to spend his time with would understand. Charlotte also felt like she had yet more confirmation that Sidney had a career in the public eye.

"I do hope that this isn't putting you off from attending the party," Sidney said quickly, sounding sincere.

And again, Charlotte could sense his concerns that she would not want to attend an event with him, if she knew the reality of his day-to-day life.

"Not at all," Charlotte reassured him. "I am looking forward to attending the party, and meeting Georgiana."

"She is looking forward to meeting you, too," said Sidney. "I'm sure the two of you will get along." And then, after a pause, "I apologise in advance for any impertinent questions you may be asked tomorrow. Georgiana and her friends are always very curious about people they do not know well, especially when they meet them at events. And you already know what Babington and Crowe are like."

Charlotte could picture Sidney rolling his eyes.

"I promise I will do all I can to protect you from their…inquisitive questions," he added.

Unbidden, Charlotte felt a bit tingly on hearing Sidney's words about protecting her. Then she felt embarrassed that the idea of him protecting her should inspire such a reaction, especially as she had always seen herself as being independent, and not needing anyone to protect her…so why was the idea of it giving her such a thrill now? Was it truly just because London was such a new and unfamiliar city to her? Or maybe because she was about to go to a glamorous event, with many guests attending who she didn't know?

Whatever it was, she reminded herself that she had come to London in the first place to find Charles, her 'fairytale prince'. There was still a chance that she would find him; that their romantic reunion was waiting just around the next corner of the city. So why was she having these thoughts about Sidney?

"You forget that I have spent my life in a small village," Charlotte told Sidney with a smile, her tone teasing. "I am used to dealing with curious questions…"

"Ah, yes, how could I forget," said Sidney, again with obvious amusement in his tone that Charlotte would never have thought him capable of, when their paths used to cross in Willingden.

They talked for a few minutes longer, arranging for Sidney to pick Charlotte up at the hotel at eight o'clock tomorrow evening, after Sidney had checked with Charlotte whether this would be okay, and Charlotte agreed that it would be, as this would give her plenty of time to get ready.

Sidney also reminded Charlotte of the fairytale theme, as Charlotte still wasn't entirely sure what to wear, or whether she needed to purchase anything new, telling her when asked that some of the guests were dressing as typical fairytale characters, while others were dressing as princes and princesses.

Charlotte almost told Sidney that she couldn't wait to see his costume, but she stopped herself before she could say it, deciding that saying something like that might sound a bit too flirtatious.

Sidney also sounded a bit hesitant about his costume, as though he were wearing what he was going to wear against his better judgement, and Charlotte knew it probably wouldn't be a good idea to suggest matching costumes, as they weren't a couple, especially at an event where curious questions would be asked anyway, and so she decided to wait until tomorrow to find out.

She really was very curious though, as to what costume Sidney might wear. Could she dare to dream that he might dress up as a prince…?

"It is late, you should get some sleep," Sidney told Charlotte after a couple more minutes of conversation, the hint of an authoritative tone back in his voice.

"Very well," Charlotte responded, in what she was sure was a decent imitation of Sidney Parker's voice.

"Goodnight, Charlotte," said Sidney, and Charlotte could tell by his tone that she had made him smile.

After the phone call had ended, Charlotte tried to get some sleep, even though her conversation with Sidney had distracted her somewhat.

Not to mention that she really was excited for the party tomorrow, with its storybook location and fairytale theme.

She could clearly remember Charles telling her at Lady Denham's ball that he liked to go to The Fable for drinks; perhaps Charlotte really would run into him there tomorrow night, and they would be reunited in a storybook setting, like something out of a romantic novel.

Which would be perfect, wouldn't it?

A romantic reunion like that was the kind of experience that she had always wanted, wasn't it?

Charlotte still felt like she didn't have any definite answers by the time she fell asleep.

Charlotte's dream started out a little differently that night…

At first, she was in a beautiful ballroom that she somehow knew to be within the walls of a castle, dancing with a handsome prince, who resembled Charles as she remembered him from the ball at Lady Denham's manor house, wearing his red jacket.

In her dream, Charlotte was dancing with the handsome prince in the middle of the dance floor in the circular ballroom, and she was vaguely aware that there was a king wearing a golden crown not too far away from her and her prince, sitting on a throne and observing the goings-on in the ballroom.

Charlotte tried to focus on the handsome prince she was dancing with, but her eyes were frequently drawn to the ballroom's large windows, where she could see a knight dressed in full armour outside, riding on what looked like a white horse.

The knight rode past the window a few times, and Charlotte had a strange urge to be on the other side of the glass with the knight; to experience the world that existed outside the confines of the castle; a world she was certain the knight was already familiar with.

When the knight and the horse disappeared from view, Charlotte had a strange desire to follow them.

And yet, Charlotte tried again to give her entire focus to the prince who she was dancing with, as this romantic moment in a beautiful ballroom with a handsome prince was literally what dreams were made of; it was what Charlotte had always wanted, and she wanted to enjoy this fairytale moment, even if it was only a dream.

Suddenly, it was as though Charlotte's surroundings started to fade a little; the prince vanished from sight; the people and the decorations in the ballroom disappeared, along with the intricate patterns on the floor, the ceiling and the walls, leaving Charlotte surrounded only by bare stone walls that looked like they were about to crumble, which made her feel lonely, isolated and empty in her dream world.

Feeling an overwhelming urge to escape, she started to run, and the next minute, she was outside the castle walls, running down the stone steps, with one of her stilettos coming off in her hurry. Charlotte did not stop to retrieve her fallen shoe.

She could see the moon in the sky in her dream world, but still her surroundings seemed dark and cold.

Charlotte ran towards the dark forest, where the wind seemed to have picked up, with the tree branches rustling in the wind, and leaves lifting off the ground as they were carried by the strong breeze.

The gale met Charlotte with some resistance as she tried to run through the forest, as though trying to push her back, and prevent her from getting to where she needed to be, but she pushed forward anyway, determined to reach her destination.

Charlotte wished to follow the path of the knight, and then the prints left by the white horse-or perhaps the horse was also the unicorn-became visible to her on the ground.

She followed the tracks in the ground. Charlotte could hear the howling of the wolves in the distance, the chants of, "Something wicked this way comes…", from Shakespeare's Macbeth, seemingly even louder this time, and sounding more ominous, but still she moved forward, determined to get to where she was going.

Eventually, Charlotte arrived at the clearing in the forest, where Susan, Lady Denham and Alison seemed to be waiting for her.

There were pages from old newspapers blowing all around the women, carried in circles by the strong wind, with some of the pages being used to stoke the fire that seemed to have been set up in the centre of the clearing, just like last time.

Alison in particular seemed to be relishing the action of throwing old newspaper pages into the fire, as though she were eager to be rid of old news.

Charlotte approached Susan, who seemed to have something to say to her…

"Charlotte, the answer is already right in front of you," said Susan, just like she had said last time in Charlotte's dream, with her typical kind smile that seemed to mask so much of her own pain.

As Susan spoke, the page of a newspaper flew past her face. Charlotte thought she could just make out the headline on the page, 'His Majesty's Holiday in Willingden!' before the page blew away in the wind.

In the distance, Charlotte could see the mysterious man-the knight, dressed in his armour, with the silver of the armour shining in the reflection of the moonlight, as though newly polished.

Charlotte started to move towards him, feeling like the knight would have all the answers to her unspoken questions.

The knight started to turn around as though to look back at her, but before Charlotte could get too close, her path was blocked by a snarling wolf, its teeth sharp and its eyes wild. It crouched as though about to pounce…

Charlotte was vaguely aware of the knight reaching for a bow and arrow and taking a step forward as though to protect her, but before anything else could happen in her dream, Charlotte awoke with a start, to see that it was already morning, as a few rays from the sun were shining through the gap in her curtains.

Although she was glad to have escaped the menacing stare of the wolf, Charlotte couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed that she had woken up before her dream could provide her with any real answers, and in many ways, it had created further questions, with the appearance of the newspaper headline. And, perhaps most disappointingly, she still hadn't got to see the knight's face.

Still, Charlotte tried to remain cheerful as she got up and got ready for the day ahead. Today was the day of Georgiana's party, and she was going to go shopping in preparation for the fairytale-themed celebrations.

Charles's bright red jacket seemed to stand out in Charlotte's hotel room wardrobe when she opened the wardrobe door to choose an outfit for the day, its presence a slightly uncomfortable reminder to Charlotte that she still needed to return the jacket to its owner.

As much as she was enjoying her time in London, Charlotte felt like she had made little progress in her search for Charles, and with so little time left in the city, her concerns were growing that she would fail in achieving what she came here to do.

She tried to console herself with the idea that there was a possibility that Charles might be a regular at The Fable on Friday evenings, and perhaps she would run into him there tonight.

Charlotte ate a leisurely breakfast, scrolling through her phone in the quiet hotel dining room as she ate. She alternated between looking up the addresses of the shops she wanted to visit today, so that she could plan her route, and looking at her social media pages.

Charlotte had already decided last night to wear her blue dress and shoes again that she had worn to Lady Denham's ball at Georgiana's party-she felt that Susan had wanted her to take the dress to London as she'd been hopeful that Charlotte would have another opportunity to wear it-but she'd decided to purchase new jewellery and accessories to go with the dress to make it look even more fairytale-like.

She felt a bit apprehensive when she saw that her social media post about Charles and his jacket had received even more comments, with an increasing number of people wishing her luck in her search and asking for updates, while also talking about how romantic it was, the idea of going to London to search for her 'prince', after a seemingly fated meeting at a ball.

Charlotte wondered if she was going to end up disappointing all these people who were invested in her search if she had to announce to them in a couple of days that she had not in fact found her 'prince' during her visit to London.

Trying to distract herself from these thoughts, Charlotte scrolled through her social media newsfeed, to see what her friends were posting. It felt rather strange, to not be in Willingden, receiving daily updates in person about the lives of the people she knew.

She noticed that James Stringer had shared an old photo that had been taken when he, Charlotte and Alison were still teenagers, a few years before Charlotte and James had started dating. The photo had been taken of the group of friends at the local teashop in the village (most of the young people in the photo, Charlotte realised, had long since moved away from Willingden to start new lives elsewhere), back when Charlotte and her group of friends had been taking part in a local fundraiser to raise money for repairs in the village after a flood. The story had made the local papers, and a photographer had shown up to take pictures at the teashop for the accompanying newspaper article.

This particular photo that James had shared hadn't made it into the newspaper (although it was quite similar to the one that had, albeit a bit more relaxed and casual), and must have been taken by one of the group with their own camera.

Charlotte looked at the photo for a few moments, her eyes drawn to her sister, who was looking at James and smiling, instead of focusing on the camera, amusement in her expression as though James had just told a funny joke, while James, seemingly oblivious to Alison's amusement, looked right into the camera lens with his typical bright smile.

Charlotte frowned in confusion. Had Alison always looked at James Stringer like that? Charlotte remembered the two of them sharing laughs and jokes during their childhood, sharing similar experiences of growing up in the village together, but she couldn't remember them being particularly close, and James had moved away from the village for a little while at one point. Sometimes, Charlotte almost forgot what it had been like to just be friends with James Stringer, spending happy days in the village in a friendship group that included Alison and other mutual friends, with no romantic complications. Now, these memories were a bit tainted by Charlotte's ill-fated relationship with James, making it a bit difficult for Charlotte to clearly remember a time before most of the village became invested in the two of them dating.

And now, Alison had also grown distant from James, no doubt out of loyalty to her sister, especially after James had moved on so quickly after the breakup, and Alison and James hadn't been close at all when Charlotte and James had been dating, with Alison almost seeming disinterested in being around him, with each month that she became more interested in her football training. Perhaps that was the reason why it seemed so odd now, Charlotte thought to herself, to see Alison smiling at him, after so many recent months of distance.

Charlotte closed her social media pages, telling herself she needed to focus on her plans for the day as she started to look up London bus routes.

She chatted with Mary for a little while after breakfast, helping her to clear the tables, and then Charlotte headed out for a few hours, waving goodbye to Tom on her way out as he checked in a few new guests at the Reception desk.

She tried not to think about how strange it was, to not have Sidney waiting for her at the front door, ready to guide her around London, as he had done over the past couple of days. Charlotte hadn't even realised how much she had already got used to Sidney being by her side in the city. She quickly tried to put this thought out of her mind, telling herself that Sidney was busy at meetings this morning, and she would see him later.

Charlotte had decided to travel by bus today, as she felt like this was a 'typical London experience' for tourists who visited the city, and so she walked to the nearest bus stop and got on a red double decker bus, enjoying the novelty of it all as she watched the streets of London go by from an upstairs window of the bus.

First, Charlotte visited a shop that she had looked up online, which specialised in costumes and accessories for fancy dress parties, before she visited several other jewellery and gift shops. She ended up purchasing a sparkling silver tiara, a silver necklace in the shape of a castle, a blue and silver broach in the shape of a crown, crown-shaped earrings, a Beauty and the Beast rose ring, and an evening bag in the shape of a book, designed with intricate patterns on the book cover that made it look like an old fairytale story. She even managed to find a silver charm in the shape of Cinderella's carriage, which Charlotte planned to add to the silver charm bracelet that she had made to wear at Lady Denham's ball.

Charlotte tried not to worry too much about the money she was spending, reminding herself that these past few days had been an anomaly, and when she returned to Willingden, it was unlikely that she would be invited to many events that she would have to purchase new dresses or jewellery for, and so she could allow herself a few treats now. She wasn't sure however if this thought was a very reassuring, or inspiring, one.

Next, as an extra special treat, Charlotte took the bus to a bookshop called Alice Through The Looking Glass, an Alice in Wonderland themed bookshop located in Cecil Court in London's West End. She didn't need to purchase anything from there for the party, but she had been unable to resist a visit when she'd read about the bookshop online.

As well as illustrated and first editions of Alice in Wonderland books, the shop also sold gifts and artwork.

When she arrived, Charlotte took a few minutes to admire the Alice in Wonderland themed artwork on display in the shop window, before she went inside through the shop's dark blue door to browse through the books on display on the bookshelves, as well as some of the other items for sale. She smiled as she read the book quotes in fancy writing that were displayed on the bookshop walls, and she really liked the little chandelier on the ceiling.

Charlotte ended up purchasing a copy of Alice in Wonderland to give as a gift to her sister.

After she had left the bookshop, Charlotte purchased a takeout salad for lunch from a nearby café, and she went to eat it at a local park, before she headed back to the hotel to have a rest before she started to get ready for the evening.

The early evening seemed to come around very quickly, and it wasn't long before Charlotte was beginning to get ready for Georgiana's party.

She talked on the phone with Alison while she put on her makeup, with her sister on speakerphone.

Alison told Charlotte that she had returned to Willingden for the evening after a day of training and meetings, and she was going to stay overnight at their parents' house, as she had a rare morning off tomorrow.

"Don't give up hope, Charlotte!" Alison insisted, after Charlotte updated her on her search for Charles. "You still have some time left in London; I'm sure you'll find what you've been looking for there. If something is meant to be, then the universe will put it in your path."

"You're starting to sound like Susan," Charlotte told her sister with a smile.

"I'll take that as a compliment!" Alison replied, with laughter in her voice.

"Anyway, perhaps you're right," said Charlotte. "I can't give up hope yet. Maybe the universe has a surprise waiting for me at the end of this week-perhaps I will get my Romeo-and-Juliet-love-story after all."

"Well, Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy, so I don't think that's the kind of love story you should be aspiring to!" Alison reminded her.

"Of course, how could I ever forget," said Charlotte. "After all, I have read the play often enough…"

"Yes, your copy at Mum and Dad's house is getting rather worn," Alison agreed. "And it's full of your additional notes and annotations…"

Charlotte smiled. She had missed her daily conversations with Alison. As much as she was missing the village, she knew that Willingden would not really be the same when she returned and Alison wasn't there very much.

"Whatever happens tonight," Alison continued, "I'm sure you'll have a much more interesting night than I will have, at your glamorous London party at The Fable, where you will no doubt be partying with the rich and famous. I, on the other hand, will probably spend the rest of the evening alone at the local pub before getting an early night…"

Charlotte and Alison talked for a few more minutes before Alison insisted that Charlotte should go and focus on getting ready.

"Make sure you send me lots of photos!" Alison told her sister, before she ended the call.

After Charlotte had put on her dress, she was joined in her room by Mary, who had kindly offered to help her get ready. Charlotte was grateful for her help, as the buttons at the back of her dress were quite delicate, and could be tricky to fasten, and Charlotte had had her mother and her sister to help her last time.

"I'm sure you'll have a lovely evening at The Fable," Mary told Charlotte with a smile as she helped Charlotte to fix her hair. "It is one of my favourite places to go in London, and I have many happy memories there. Tom and I like to go there for our date nights when we get an evening to ourselves."

Just as Mary was helping to place the silver tiara on Charlotte's head, there was another knock at the door. It turned out to be Angela, who Charlotte invited into the room. She walked in carrying a sparkling silver shawl, which she offered to Charlotte.

"I know you young ones maybe don't worry as much about the cold," she explained, "but I'm sure it will get chilly in the dark, especially later, when you are travelling back to the hotel, and I thought you might like to borrow this shawl for the evening. I used to wear it myself, during my days of attending fancy parties in the city. It looks like it will go with your dress…"

"Thank you, it's beautiful," Charlotte said sincerely, feeling so grateful, and overwhelmed by the kindness being shown to her by a woman she had only met a few days ago.

Charlotte invited Angela to stay in the room with her and Mary while she finished getting ready, and the three women looked at Charlotte's reflection in the mirror while Mary and Angela helped Charlotte to put on her jewellery.

"I'm reminded of those happy evenings during my youth, getting ready to attend parties," Angela told her, with a nostalgic look on her face when she looked at Charlotte in the mirror.

Finally, just before eight o'clock, Charlotte was ready.

Angela helped to place the shawl over Charlotte's shoulders, with both Mary and Angela telling Charlotte that she looked beautiful as Charlotte glanced at her reflection in the mirror one more time. Then Angela headed to bed while Mary went back downstairs.

Charlotte received a message from Sidney, letting her know that he was on his way. He offered to wait outside the hotel for her when he arrived, but Charlotte told him that he should come in and wait, as it felt strange now, to keep him at a distance and ask him to wait outside, after they had spent so much time together this week and shared so many conversations. Besides, both Tom and Mary were still at the hotel working, and Charlotte knew that they would want to talk to Sidney.

A couple of minutes after Sidney text Charlotte to let her know that he had arrived at the hotel (and Charlotte had taken a few photos of herself in her dress to send to Alison), Charlotte headed out of her room and towards the staircase, where she could hear Tom, Mary and Sidney's voices at the bottom of the stairs.

As Charlotte took her first steps down the stairs, she suddenly realised that she was getting to experience a fairytale moment of her own, walking down a staircase while wearing a beautiful dress, just before attending a party, like many characters in romantic films had experienced. It almost felt surreal.

And, although she felt a bit nervous, and a bit worried about the possibility of accidentally tripping over, Charlotte tried to savour the moment, holding onto the wooden banister to steady herself as she took a few more steps.

She saw Tom and Mary, watching her from the hallway as she slowly descended the stairs, proud smiles on their faces as if Charlotte were a friend of theirs, and not just a guest at their hotel.

Charlotte smiled back at them, thinking about how kind they had been to her over the past few days, but then, all rational thought left Charlotte's mind when she saw Sidney Parker, who was waiting at the foot of the stairs dressed in a prince's costume!

Charlotte paused on the stairs as though frozen to the spot, her heart starting to beat rapidly even as she stood still. She blinked rapidly, almost in a state of disbelief, trying to take in the scene in front of her.

Sidney looked like a perfect storybook prince, dressed just like Prince Charming in a royal blue jacket with a hint of red around the collar and at the end of the sleeves, gold trim on the jacket and cuffs, and gold fringing on the epaulettes. His outfit was accessorised with a gold, fabric sash, and a black belt complete with a gold buckle. His black trousers and shoes looked like they were very expensive. He was even wearing a gold crown.

And he looked so handsome…

Charlotte desperately tried to tell herself that it was just the prince costume that was causing Sidney's appearance this evening to have this effect on her; just a lifelong love of fairytale characters-the princes especially-and the wish to be a character herself in one of those fairytales that was making Charlotte feel this way. But Charlotte wasn't sure if her reasoning was entirely accurate right now, which made her feel a bit apprehensive.

The truth was that Charlotte had been aware that Sidney Parker was handsome from the moment she first met him, but back in Willingden, it had always just been more of a passing thought; something she often tried to put to the back of her mind so as not to think about it too much. She had however become even more aware of how handsome Sidney was over the past few days, especially as she had seen that he could be kind and thoughtful, too, with moments such as seeing him in formal attire at Lady Denham's ball and emerging half-naked from the lake in the forest only serving to emphasise to Charlotte just how attractive Sidney was, and this moment felt like the universe was shining even more of a spotlight on his handsomeness, pushing the thought right to the forefront of Charlotte's mind, making it more difficult for Charlotte to ignore.

Sidney had definitely smiled at her only moments ago, but now there was a hint of concern in his eyes, and Charlotte realised that she had probably paused for a bit too long on the stairs while admiring Sidney's costume.

Concentrate! she told herself, as she tried to focus on putting one foot in front of the other so she could continue walking down the stairs without gaping at Sidney and making a fool of herself.

Mary and Tom said a few words about how lovely Charlotte looked, and they wished Charlotte and Sidney a good evening before they made their excuses and hurried off to work in a different part of the hotel, as though somehow sensing that Charlotte wanted to be alone with Sidney, which made Charlotte feel a bit embarrassed, because she wasn't sure what they thought her connection to Sidney was, or if they perhaps assumed it to be more than it actually was. But then Charlotte looked at Sidney again as she paused on the last step of the staircase and she felt like all other thoughts left her mind, apart from thoughts about Sidney's prince's costume.

"Charlotte," he greeted her with a polite incline of his head, somehow managing to look like a hero from a classic novel, while still looking regal.

Charlotte almost blurted out that she thought Sidney looked really handsome, but she stopped herself at the last moment, deciding that it would not be appropriate to say such a thing, given the more formal nature of Sidney's agreement to help Charlotte while she was in London.

"You really suit the princely look," Charlotte said instead, although she wondered if this still sounded a little flirtatious. It didn't help that she was finding it a bit difficult to speak, perhaps due to nerves, or…something else.

"Well, I suppose I can play the role for one night, to appease the guests at the party," said Sidney, in a self-effacing answer that Charlotte would not have expected of him when he had first started to visit Willingden, and she had been convinced of his arrogance.

"Well, in that costume, I believe that you would make a good prince in a fairytale story," Charlotte told him.

Sidney's expression had become serious again, but at Charlotte's words, his lip curled up almost into a smile. "I think you overestimate my role in the story," he said. "If I were to somehow find myself in a fairytale, at best, I would play the role of the knight, but only if were being my best self, and my truest self."

Charlotte knew that she should feel disappointed on hearing Sidney's confirmation that he did not see himself in the role of a prince, either in a story or in reality; that he only believed he could play the 'Prince Charming' character on a night like this, when he had to put on a costume to attend a friend's party, but Charlotte was also aware that this was nothing more or less than what Sidney had already told her about his character, and it did not take away from the fact that he still looked very handsome in his prince costume.

"Shall we?" Sidney asked Charlotte after a few seconds of silence in which Charlotte had been lost in her thoughts, offering his hand for her to take.

As Charlotte put her hand in Sidney's, she told herself that Sidney had simply offered his hand as a polite, gentlemanly gesture, to help her walk down the last step, as she had no doubt looked like she'd been struggling a bit to walk down the last of the stairs-Charlotte only hoped that Sidney assumed this was due to her high-heeled shoes and her flowing dress, and not because she had been too busy staring at him-but still that didn't change the fact that Charlotte was sure she felt a spark the moment their hands touched; a spark that she wasn't sure she could so easily dismiss now.

In spite of her nerves, she couldn't wait to find out how the evening would go.

Chapter Text

Charlotte could not stop staring at Sidney Parker as she followed him outside and towards the waiting car, even though she felt embarrassed about doing so and she really hoped that he hadn't noticed that she was staring so much.

It was just…he looked so handsome, dressed in his prince's outfit…no, it was more than that, Charlotte thought to herself. Sidney had looked handsome from the moment she first met him, but Charlotte had never allowed herself to think about his obvious handsomeness too much, as she had also believed Sidney to be arrogant, until this week in London, where Charlotte had become even more aware of Sidney's attractiveness-along with his kindness, and his nobleness, which in turn made him seem even more attractive-and tonight, Sidney's princely look was only serving to enhance his already handsome features.

Charlotte was acutely aware of every touch, every look, every interaction, with her skin feeling a bit tingly when Sidney held out a hand to help her walk down the stone steps outside the hotel, and she fought off a shy smile when Sidney held the car door open for her in a gentlemanly manner.

Charlotte shook her head as she got into the car, frantically trying to clear it of her thoughts about Sidney. She was in London to find Charles, as she so often had to keep reminding herself lately. Charles who also looked like a prince, and acted like one. She could not afford to get distracted now; not when she might still have a chance of finding him, and so many people were rooting for her to find her fairytale ending. Besides, Charlotte reasoned, it was not as though Sidney had ever given any indication that he found her attractive, or that he cared about her in any way that went beyond his honourable promise to help Charlotte find Charles while she was in London, to make up for poor past behaviour.

Not that this reasoning offered much reassurance, as Charlotte then started to wonder why she even cared if Sidney thought that she was pretty, or why she was wondering in the first place if he saw her as more than the 'colleague' who he was helping with a 'project' in London.

Luckily, Charlotte became distracted when Sidney's driver, Anna, greeted Charlotte with a smile and told her that she looked lovely, "Just like a real princess!", before she started driving Charlotte and Sidney to The Fable.

Only a few days ago, Charlotte had imagined that there would probably be a lot of awkward silences if she chose to spend time with Sidney Parker in London, but so far, that hadn't been the case, much to Charlotte's surprise, and tonight was no exception, with Sidney telling Charlotte a bit more about Georgiana and her career in London as Anna drove them to Georgiana's party, while also talking about previous visits to The Fable with his friends when Charlotte asked him more about the party venue.

Charlotte had looked up information about The Fable online, as it was a place that Charles had told her he liked to visit, and it had sounded rather magical when he spoke about it at the ball-she had read that The Fable was a beautiful bar and restaurant in the heart of London that housed a collection of story books, and was inspired by fairytales and Aesop's fables-but still Charlotte couldn't wait to experience the reality of it.

The car journey went quite quickly-it helped that the roads were quieter at night than they were during the day, without a lot of the typical London traffic. And so, it wasn't long before Charlotte and Sidney were getting out of the car and standing outside The Fable, with Charlotte taking a few moments to pause and admire the detail of the white stone building, which was attached to another building that mainly consisted of large glass windows. There was outdoor seating, which Charlotte assumed was used during the day, when the weather was a bit warmer, as well as an assortment of plants and plant pots in pretty colours outside the building. The words 'The Fable' were written on one of the darker windows in brightly coloured writing, along with silhouettes of flowers, butterflies, wine bottles and wine glasses decorating the windows.

Charlotte felt a bit apprehensive as she headed inside, as she knew that she was about to spend an evening with many people she had not met before, at a busy, trendy bar in central London, where she might look a bit out of place, but still her nerves could not outweigh her excitement about the evening ahead. There was also something…soothing about Sidney Parker's presence tonight-Charlotte couldn't really explain it, but she felt like he would protect her, if she experienced any difficulties.

There was a flurry of activity going on all around Charlotte and Sidney when they walked through the main doors and into the ground floor room where Georgiana's party was taking place. There was a small crowd gathered near the bar, with a few guests ordering drinks; bartenders behind the bar rapidly preparing pretty cocktails, several of which had flowers in them; there was a DJ playing music by the dance floor further into the room; some guests were already dancing on the dance floor, while others were sharing enthusiastic conversations. The party guests were dressed in various fairytale-themed costumes-there were guests dressed as knights, kings, queens, witches, fairy godmothers, various animals such as wolves, and even guests dressed as fairies, elves, goblins and pixies.

There was so much going on in the room, but still, Charlotte felt calm with Sidney by her side, and she took a few moments to truly appreciate her surroundings, even spinning around in a little circle in an attempt to see everything at once…

The large room where the party was taking place was a beautiful one, with floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out across Holborn Viaduct (Charlotte could even see a London bus passing by outside the window); there were high tables with tall chairs placed about the room, along with some lower, circular tables which were decorated with flowers in little flowerpots. There were bookshelves against some of the walls, and the room was adorned with glistening crystals and shimmering candelabras, as well as fairytale-themed decorations, such as figures of princes, princesses and knights, and there were heart-shaped ornaments tied by ribbon to the bookshelves, with silhouettes inside the hearts shaped like pixies and fairies, very similar to the ones at Arthur and Diana's woodland resort. There were even banners with the words, 'Fairytales, fables and fantasies' written on them in very fancy writing.

A main feature of the room however was an oval-shaped table with a light wood effect that Charlotte had read online was called Aesop's Table, which was surrounded by piles of books, with the books also piled in an oval shape around the table. There was a definite Alice in Wonderland theme to the table this evening, as it had been decorated to look like the Mad Hatter's Tea Party, complete with Alice in Wonderland themed teacups, saucers and teapot, an Alice in Wonderland birthday cake and a plate of Alice in Wonderland cupcakes at its centre, as well as a clock, a top hat and a deck of cards on the table. Charlotte noticed the words 'Curiouser and curiouser…', a well-known quote from Alice in Wonderland, which had been written in fancy writing on a piece of card on the table.

As she looked around, Charlotte made sure to scan the room for any signs of Charles being there, but she could not see him among the guests.

Charlotte noticed Sidney looking around for Georgiana, but he couldn't seem to see her in the busy room. Charlotte assumed that Georgiana might be at the doors at the moment, greeting friends, as quite a few people were just arriving, or in one of the building's other rooms. As they took a few steps closer to the bar however, Charlotte did notice a couple of familiar faces…

"Parker!" Crowe and Babington called out in unison as they practically ran towards Sidney and Charlotte with grins on their faces.

Charlotte was glad that they were here, at the party. She didn't know the two men very well, but already they seemed like familiar faces in a sea of strangers in London.

Charlotte noticed that Babington was also dressed as a prince, wearing a bright red prince's jacket, while Crowe was dressed as a jester, something which made Sidney smirk and Babington laugh as the friends approached.

"What time do you call this?" Crowe asked Sidney in a joking manner, after he and Babington had greeted Charlotte more politely than they greeted Sidney.

Charlotte noticed that Crowe and Babington looked from Charlotte to Sidney for a few seconds, their eyes seeming to focus on their costumes, before they glanced at each other with what looked like knowing expressions, but, thankfully, they didn't make any comments.

"Have you not heard of being fashionably late?" Sidney replied to Crowe, in a surprisingly good imitation of his grandmother's tone of voice, with a hint of sarcasm as well.

Judging by Crowe and Babington's laughter, Sidney's friends had often heard Lady Denham respond in such a manner.

Babington and Crowe led Charlotte and Sidney towards the bar, where a round of drinks was ordered, and Sidney generously offered to pay for his friends' drinks, and the cocktail that Charlotte ordered. All the while, the men jokingly debated about Crowe's jester costume, and whether there were many jesters in fairytale stories.

Crowe however seemed to be proud of his costume, and he declared that it would help him stand out amongst the crowd.

"It's a pity that Esther isn't here tonight," said Babington with a sigh, after they'd all started to drink their drinks. "Although perhaps she will see photos of the evening, and realise how dashing and handsome I look in my prince's costume, and then, with a bit of luck, she might realise that I am worthy of being her Prince Charming after all…"

"Yes, that's the spirit, Babbers," said Crowe with an amused-looking smirk, and the air of someone who was more focused on getting drunk, and did not truly believe that Babington's dream was going to come true anyway, while Sidney simply rolled his eyes. "Although," Crowe added, "I fear it would take some sort of fairy godmother, or a miracle, to grand that particular wish for you…"

The men continued to talk about Babington's continued efforts to win Esther's heart, but Charlotte noticed that Crowe looked a bit distracted now as he scanned the room.

"I was hoping that Clara might be here tonight," he revealed, after he'd drank a bit more of his drink. "She actually agreed to a dance at the last party we all attended, and there was definitely some flirtation going on that night…"

"I wouldn't get your hopes up, if I were you," said Sidney with a sigh. "The last I heard, Clara was chasing Edward all over London, trying to get close to him again. No doubt Edward has got her involved in yet another of his schemes. I doubt she would want to be seen at an event with Edward's rivals…"

Charlotte noticed that both Crowe and Babington visibly shuddered at the mention of Edward's name. She didn't know who Clara was, or what the story behind her connection to Sidney's rival, Edward, was, and Charlotte had only heard about Edward through other people's conversations, but, for some reason, she too was starting to feel a chill run down her spine at every mention of Edward's name. She wondered who this man was, to inspire such dislike from seemingly likeable men, and to have such a hold on women like Esther and Clara.

All three men seemed eager for a change of subject, and they started to talk about other friends of theirs who they expected to attend the party tonight, with Sidney kindly explaining to Charlotte the history of each friendship and acquaintance they were referring to.

It seemed that Charlotte and Sidney had not in fact arrived as late to the party as Crowe and Babington had jokingly implied, as many of the people they knew still hadn't arrived yet. It seemed that the night was still young.

As the four of them were talking, Charlotte saw out of the corner of her eye a group of women walk into the main room, and she sensed that one of the women was watching them.

Her intuition turned out to be correct, as next minute, Charlotte heard the same young woman call out, "Sidney!" as she took rapid steps towards him.

Both Sidney and Charlotte turned to look at the woman moving towards them, who looked very elegant dressed in a Queen of Hearts costume, complete with a long, flowing red and black dress with intricate lace detail and hearts decorations, as well as a mini crown hairband.

"Ah, Georgiana," said Sidney, as instant recognition crossed his face.

Charlotte also recognised Georgiana from the photos she had seen in the online articles she had read about her.

"Sidney," said Georgiana, after she had approached the group and greeted Crowe and Babington with a hug, "I was wondering when you'd get here. I've just been out by the cloakroom, talking to a group of my friends who'd just arrived," she explained, "and I must have missed your arrival."

Charlotte noticed that as she spoke, Georgiana kept throwing curious glances in Charlotte's direction.

"Charlotte Heywood, this is Georgiana Lambe," said Sidney, perhaps also noticing Georgiana's curious stares in Charlotte's direction, and eager to quickly make the introductions before any awkward questions could be asked. "I have known Georgiana for most of her life," he continued, "as our mothers were friends. Georgiana has spent several summer holidays with my siblings and I in Sanditon."

"Yes, Sidney is like an annoying, overprotective older brother to me," Georgiana cut in with a roll of her eyes, although there was affection in her words, too, in the way that most people spoke about their siblings who they still cared deeply about, despite the occasional quarrel.

Sidney also rolled his eyes in response, but he did not really look annoyed, and his expression suggested that he was used to such remarks from Georgiana.

"Georgiana, this is Charlotte Heywood," Sidney added. "Charlotte is from Willingden, and she has also spent many summers in Sanditon. Charlotte's in London to work on a proj-"

"Perhaps Charlotte can tell me more about herself as we take a walk around the room," Georgiana interrupted him. "I have been so eager to meet you, ever since Sidney told me that you were in London," she said, addressing Charlotte now, "and I'd like to get to know you better. I'm sure you'd like to come and have a look at Aesop's Table, and all the other decorations…?"

Sidney looked a bit hesitant at the idea of Georgiana having a private conversation with Charlotte, perhaps due to the increased probability of the 'impertinent questions' that he had warned Charlotte about, but Georgiana was already gently leading Charlotte away from the men, and Sidney's friends were giving him a look that suggested that this wasn't really worth getting into a debate over.

Not to mention that Crowe had already found more important matters to give his attention to, as he had turned to face the bar again. As Georgiana led Charlotte further towards Aesop's Table, Charlotte could hear Sidney say to Crowe, "No, we are not doing shots!", his tone insistent. However, Crowe seemed to be one of the few people in Sidney's life who was not influenced by Sidney Parker's authoritative tone, as he appeared to be ignoring Sidney's instructions. Charlotte fought off an amused smile as she looked over her shoulder at Sidney and his friends.

"I almost didn't believe Sidney when he told me that he was bringing a 'plus-one' to the party," Georgiana told Charlotte, as the two women walked further away from Sidney and his friends. "It's been so long since he brought a woman to an event, even though many women in London would like to attend events with him…not since the breakup from Eliza, I think, and especially after he found out that she'd got engaged to…well, perhaps that it is Sidney's story to tell," she added hastily, looking a bit embarrassed at almost having said too much, while Charlotte was trying not to think too much about why she was starting to feel a strange feeling that felt suspiciously like jealousy every time Eliza's name was mentioned.

She also couldn't help wondering what the story was there, as it seemed that the breakup between Sidney and Eliza had maybe not been an amicable one, and it seemed Eliza had got engaged to someone else very quickly…although Charlotte knew that it was really none of her business, and she was unlikely to ever find out anyway.

"But none of that matters anymore," Georgiana added hastily, "because Sidney has come here with you tonight, and you look so happy together-"

"Oh, it is not like that," Charlotte quickly interrupted, upon realising exactly what Georgiana was implying, and where she was going with this conversation. She fought off a blush at Georgiana's assumptions. "Sidney and I are…colleagues, of sorts," she rushed to explain. "He has been helping me with a…project in London this week, and he kindly invited me to your party, as he knows I don't know many people in London yet."

"Oh, really?" said Georgiana, looking both disappointed and confused. "Sidney tried to imply that the two of you were work colleagues of sorts, too, but I didn't really believe him, and there seemed to be a connection between the two of you, when I was watching you both from across the room; a…chemistry. And Sidney looks happier than he has looked in months. Not to mention your matching costumes, of course, which really do make you look like a couple-"

"Oh, well, I think the matching costumes were just a coincidence," Charlotte said quickly, hoping she didn't look as embarrassed as she felt. A part of her couldn't help feeling curious though, as to what exactly Georgiana had seen or sensed between the two of them, to make her believe that Charlotte and Sidney were dating, or a couple. "Besides," Charlotte added hurriedly, not really thinking about what she was saying, as she was still a bit befuddled by everything that Georgiana had just said, and she was a bit distracted by the music and the party atmosphere, "I don't think that Sidney sees me that way…"

As she finished speaking, she wondered why she had put that thought out there, especially to someone who knew Sidney well, and why she cared about how Sidney saw her. As she had just told Georgiana, her and Sidney were nothing more than colleagues, weren't they? Sidney had apparently all but confirmed this to Georgiana before the party. They might have grown closer over the past few days, and Charlotte might have been rendered speechless a few times this evening at the sight of Sidney in his prince's costume, but nothing had happened to indicate that there was any more to their relationship, and Charlotte was here to find Charles, as she kept telling herself. Charles, who she had had such a strong, immediate connection and chemistry with at Lady Denham's ball.

"Are you sure about that?" Georgiana asked Charlotte with a raised eyebrow, in response to what Charlotte had just said. "I know Sidney well, and I am hardly ever wrong about this sort of thing…"

Thankfully, the conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a group of Georgiana's friends, who were all dressed very elegantly in a variety of fairytale-themed costumes. Georgiana introduced Charlotte to them, and Charlotte talked briefly to Georgiana's friends about their lives in London-they all seemed to have very interesting, albeit demanding, careers in the city-and then Charlotte decided that she should give Georgiana some time to catch up with her friends, so she smiled at Georgiana as she excused herself from the conversation, and Georgiana told her that she hoped they could talk more during the evening, and then Charlotte started to walk back towards Sidney and his friends.

She had only taken a few steps when she heard a man's voice calling out to her. She turned to see Sidney's brother, Arthur, walking towards her with a spring in his step, looking thrilled to be at the party.

"Charlotte!" he beamed, as he approached her. "It's wonderful to see you again!"

"Arthur," Charlotte greeted him with a smile, feeling a bit surprised to see him at the party, as she hadn't known if he was going to attend, although she had overheard during Arthur's phone conversation with Sidney yesterday that he was planning on spending some time away from the holiday resort, and she was glad to see another familiar face. "It's lovely to see you, too-I didn't know for sure if you'd be coming to the party."

"Well, I can never miss an opportunity for music, merriment and dancing," Arthur replied with a smile. "I do love to dance! And I have missed spending time with Georgiana."

"I'm sure you'll have a wonderful evening," Charlotte told him with a smile. It was impossible not to be caught up in Arthur's enthusiasm.

"Yes, I'm really glad to be here," said Arthur. "I only wish that my sister shared my enthusiasm," he added, "but events such as these are not Diana's cup of tea, and of course she has her health concerns, which made her a bit anxious about my leaving for a couple of days…"

Charlotte nodded in sympathy. She remembered from Arthur's phone conversation with Sidney that Diana had been reluctant about Arthur leaving the holiday resort.

"But I assured my sister that I won't be away for long," Arthur added. "I'll be back working at the woodland resort in no time, greeting all our new guests!"

Charlotte talked to Arthur for a few more minutes about his journey to London before he went to go and speak to Georgiana, telling Charlotte that he hoped to see her on the dance floor later. Georgiana looked thrilled to see Arthur, and it seemed to Charlotte like the two of them were good friends.

Charlotte went back to Sidney and his friends. As she approached, she could hear that they were in the middle of some sort of debate about the upcoming party in Windsor that Sidney had mentioned a couple of times this week…

"Oh, come on, Parker," she heard Crowe say to Sidney, with a slight slur to his speech, "it wouldn't hurt you to attend one more party this week and enjoy yourself for another night. Work will still be waiting for you on Monday either way."

Babington was nodding in agreement.

"And, if you agree to attend the party," Crowe added, "then you can get Babbers and I on the guest list, too-"

"Which will of course be just an added bonus," said Babington.

"Yes, of course," said Sidney, his tone full of sarcasm, "and I'm sure your chances of getting on the guest list have absolutely nothing to do with your insistence that I should attend the Windsor party…"

"None at all! Babbers and I are only concerned for your happiness!" said Crowe, although he did not sound very convincing.

Sidney almost looked grateful for the distraction when he saw Charlotte, and the subject was quickly changed, although Charlotte couldn't help feeling curious about the upcoming party at Windsor, and Sidney's apparent reluctance to attend.

While the four of them were talking-with Crowe and Babington occasionally stepping away to order more drinks and talk to other friends of theirs-they were frequently approached by friends and acquaintances of Sidney's, and Sidney introduced them all to Charlotte with the confident air of someone who regularly attended parties and made introductions. There were a few raised eyebrows and knowing smiles when Sidney introduced Charlotte to his friends, with Sidney explaining to them that he and Charlotte were working together on a project in the city, but luckily, no comments were made about whether there was anything more to their new connection.

Sidney gave his attention to each guest that greeted him, and Charlotte knew that he probably hadn't seen many of them in a while due to the demands of his mysterious job, and now they wanted to catch up with him, but still Sidney made a point of including Charlotte in his conversations, and Charlotte appreciated the effort.

Sidney seemed to know a lot of people...

Sidney introduced Charlotte to friends of his from Sanditon who apparently participated in regattas with him every summer; friends from London who worked in a range of professions in the city; friends who had studied at Cambridge, who would have been Sidney's classmates, had he taken a different path; acquaintances who spoke with regal accents who Sidney simply introduced as 'work colleagues'; friends who Sidney went hiking with in the British countryside; friends he had travelled to Italy with to participate in a charity trek; friends he had participated in a charity skydive with. Some of Sidney's friends spoke in a variety of languages, and there were moments when Sidney also spoke words and phrases in other languages, such as French, Greek and Italian as he interacted with his friends.

Charlotte was impressed by all the experiences Sidney Parker had clearly had in his life, making wonderful friends along the way, but she also felt a strange sense of 'not being good enough', or at the very least, 'not having yet achieved enough', on hearing about all the experiences and opportunities that Sidney had had, even though she was generally not an insecure person, and she wished that she was not currently feeling this way.

But Sidney was living a rich and varied life in a capital city, while Charlotte rarely left Willingden. She wondered if Sidney thought her to be naïve, with all that he had already experienced. And then she wondered why any of this mattered so much. She felt like this was not something that would have concerned her, only a few days ago.

Charlotte was distracted from her more negative thoughts by Georgiana, who had come over to see if Charlotte would like to be in some of the photos that were going to be taken at the Alice in Wonderland themed table with her friends.

Charlotte nodded, glad for something else to focus on.

She also felt like she needed a bit of a distraction from thinking about Sidney Parker, as he was increasingly playing a starring role in Charlotte's thoughts.

Charlotte headed over to the table with Georgiana, grateful that she was trying to include her when she didn't know Charlotte well.

It was fun taking pictures at Aesop's Table, and Charlotte smiled and laughed with Georgiana's friends while they took photos next to the Alice in Wonderland themed birthday cake, all of them taking turns to sit on different seats while debating whether Alice in Wonderland could truly be considered a fairytale, and talking about the tropes that the story shared with typical fairytale stories, before they posed in front of the table as a group.

Georgiana introduced Charlotte to her boyfriend, Otis, who was dressed in a king's costume, with a blue and red velvet jacket, a red cape and a gold waist sash, as well as a gold crown and sceptre.

Otis talked to Charlotte about his career in politics in London, and how he was trying to influence change in society. He had hopes of working in an influential role in government in the near future.

Georgiana and Otis seemed to be a couple who were very much in love, and they gazed lovingly into each other's eyes as they held hands and posed for photos together, smiling secretive smiles that were just for each other. Not for the first time, Charlotte felt that sense of loneliness that she had been feeling rather often lately when in the presence of happy couples, along with the sense that something was…missing from her life. It was this same sense of 'something missing' that had driven her to London in the first place…

With this sudden reminder about why she was in London, Charlotte made her excuses about going to find the bathroom before she discreetly left the room and went to do a bit of a search of the rest of the building, in the hope that, by some twist of fate, Charles might also have decided to visit The Fable for drinks tonight.

She walked up a flight of stairs, taking a quick look around the mezzanine on the next floor, which had its own private bar, as well as comfortable-looking bar stools, and red and white chairs around little wooden tables with candles on in the room. And then she headed up to the top floor room with its larger, rectangular tables and floral designs on the walls, but Charles wasn't in either of these rooms.

When she did not see any signs of Charles being there, Charlotte accepted that it was unlikely she would run into him at The Fable tonight. She was glad to have searched for him all the same, and at the very least, she'd got to see more of The Fable.

When Charlotte returned to the ground floor room where Georgiana's party was taking place, she noticed that Sidney was watching her from across the room. He raised an eyebrow questioningly at her, concern in his facial expression, and Charlotte could tell from that look that he had noticed her absence, and was now silently checking in with her, making sure that everything was alright.

Charlotte didn't know why, but she felt a bit giddy at the idea that Sidney had noticed that she wasn't in the room and had been worried about her. She told herself that this was just because she didn't really know many other people in London, and it was nice to feel like someone was thinking about her in such a big city.

Charlotte nodded in reply to Sidney's unspoken question, trying to offer a reassuring smile to let Sidney know that she was okay, and that there was no need to worry about her absence from the room.

Sidney nodded, seemingly satisfied with her response.

Suddenly, the music got a bit louder, and Georgiana hurried over to Charlotte. "Come and dance with us!" she said, as she nodded in the direction of her friends, who were already dancing.

And so, Charlotte followed Georgiana to the dance floor, enjoying the feeling of just getting to dance and laugh and enjoy herself as the bright lights flashed overhead and the DJ continued to play upbeat tracks.

The nightlife in Willingden was rather tame in comparison, with the evenings that Charlotte ventured out often spent at the local pub, where there was sometimes live music, or at the outdoor theatre in the summer months. Evenings in Willingden however, were nothing like this…and there was nothing wrong with that, but Charlotte was enjoying trying something new; enjoying being young and feeling more carefree in a city where so much seemed to happen, and there were so many possibilities.

Charlotte wondered what it would be like to live in a big city; to have the option in the evenings to go to events with DJs, music, fancy cocktails and lively conversation. She wasn't sure if the thought of it overwhelmed or excited her.

Occasionally, Georgiana's friends made circles around Georgiana so that she could dance in the middle, and they took it in turns to dance with her; at other times, they danced in smaller groups, making sure to include Charlotte.

Arthur also joined them on the dance floor, attracting applause and cheers with his rather creative dance moves, often ending up in the middle of the dance floor himself as guests gathered to watch him.

He danced with Georgiana several times, and the two of them seemed to get along well, sharing laughs and jokes, although Charlotte also noticed that Arthur seemed a bit protective of Georgiana, and Charlotte wondered if Georgiana had maybe had difficult experiences in her past that had given Arthur reason to feel protective.

As Charlotte danced, she kept glancing over in Sidney's direction, observing him as he moved about the room with confidence, greeting and speaking to other guests.

Charlotte had always assumed that Sidney Parker hated parties, from what she had observed of his behaviour in Willingden-she had often seen him as something of a loner, an outlier-but she couldn't help noticing that Sidney was relaxed here, seemingly happy to talk to people, and happy to enjoy himself and laugh and joke with his friends and the people he felt comfortable with.

Perhaps it was not all parties he hated, Charlotte thought…perhaps it was just the parties in Willingden specifically, although Charlotte didn't know why this would be the case, unless Sidney really did consider events in Willingden to be beneath him.

Or maybe there were a lot of things that Charlotte had got wrong about Sidney Parker.

Every time she looked at him, Charlotte became distracted all over again by handsome Sidney looked in his prince's costume, and she wished he would dress up as a prince more often…but then she told herself that it wasn't appropriate to be having these thoughts about Sidney in the first place, when she was still searching for Charles in London.

Sidney also glanced over at Charlotte a few times as he talked to his friends, continuing to silently check that she was okay.

"I see Sidney's rather protective of you, too," Georgiana told Charlotte, during a brief break from dancing, as she looked from Sidney to Charlotte. "I've noticed him looking at you a few times," she explained, when Charlotte looked at her in confusion, "as though checking that you're okay."

"He's like that with the people he cares about," Georgiana continued. "I think it's his way of showing that he cares. I used to find his overprotectiveness annoying, when I was a bit younger and more reckless, but I understand now that he had my best interests at heart-not that I don't still get annoyed with him, at times. You know, on my last birthday, he got into a fight at the pub in Willingden when one of his rivals tried to flirt with me-there are a lot of unscrupulous men after my fortune, you see, and that man had already proved himself to be an awful person-he and Sidney have a history as rivals, as I'm sure Sidney will tell you about while you're here in London. Sidney's grandmother was furious" she added. "She told him he'd 'disgraced the family name' by getting into a fight in the village where she lives, but she came around eventually. I wasn't exactly thrilled by his behaviour, either, but I understood why he was trying to protect me, and I think the weeks of his grandmother's fury were punishment enough," she said, with a hint of amusement in her tone.

Before Charlotte could ask any more about what had transpired on that night at the pub in Willingden, or indeed who the man was who Sidney had fought with, as she was curious as to whether she might know him, with the fight having taken place in Willingden, Georgiana was distracted by her boyfriend, who asked her if she wanted to try one of the Alice in Wonderland cupcakes at Aesop's Table, and the two of them were soon engaged in flirtatious conversation as they headed towards the table.

Charlotte also decided to sit at the table for a little while, and she soon got into conversation with a few of Georgiana's friends as she took a seat. They talked to Charlotte about their work in London, telling stories of film premiers, product launches, boardrooms, marketing events and theatre performances. It all sounded very glamorous and exciting to Charlotte.

As she talked about her work at the bookshop, she got into a conversation with a friend of Georgiana's who owned a chain of bookshops in the city, and Charlotte was fascinated listening to her experiences of running bookshops in London. Charlotte wished that she could have more opportunities to spend time with Georgiana and her friends.

By the time Charlotte got up from her seat, Georgiana had already returned to the dance floor-she was dancing with Otis as the DJ played a song that they had requested, the two of them with their arms around each other as they swayed in time to the music.

Charlotte noticed that Sidney Parker was walking towards her now, perhaps coming over to check on Charlotte. He was soon joined by his friends, who appeared to have seen Sidney from the other side of the room. This time, Sidney did not look so thrilled to see them, and Charlotte wasn't sure why, although Crowe did look a bit drunk now, so perhaps that was the reason.

"This is a wonderful song," said Crowe, speaking to Charlotte, his speech a little slurred, "perhaps you would like to dan-"

"Don't even think about it, Crowe," said Sidney, his tone firm, authoritative, as though the matter were already settled, and this time, even Crowe didn't challenge him; he simply held his hands up in a gesture of surrender before he walked away with a smirk on his face to flirt with a group of women who were standing nearby, while Babington followed him, smirking almost triumphantly as he went, as though something very entertaining had just happened, although Charlotte didn't know why he looked so triumphant. She was sure she heard Crowe mutter something to Babington that sounded like, "Well, I think we've been proved right there…", but Charlotte didn't know what Sidney's friends had been proved right about.

Before she could think too much about why Sidney had been so adamant about Crowe not dancing with her, as his reaction had been a bit surprising to Charlotte, and before Sidney could even say anything to explain himself, Arthur approached Charlotte.

"Charlotte, this is one of my favourite songs, would you like to dance?" Arthur asked her, still sounding a bit out of breath from his last dance with Georgiana.

Charlotte nodded, before she glanced at Sidney, wondering how he would react to this request of his brother's. Surprisingly, Sidney simply inclined his head, not looking particularly concerned about his brother's wish to dance with Charlotte as he went to join his friends, unlike the way that he had seemed annoyed at the idea of Crowe dancing with her. Charlotte wondered why this might be the case, and why Sidney's reaction had been different this time, but Arthur was already taking rapid steps towards the dance floor, and Charlotte had to hurry to keep up with him.

It was only when Charlotte joined Arthur, Georgiana and Otis on the dance floor that she started to wonder if Sidney had maybe been heading towards her to ask her to dance, and perhaps he hadn't had the opportunity due to Arthur and Crowe's requests. Perhaps she had just missed out on an opportunity to dance with Sidney Parker, and she started to feel curious as to what it would be like to dance with him. But then Charlotte started to think that maybe this idea was a bit far-fetched. Sidney had never asked her to dance before.

Charlotte danced with Arthur for the rest of the song, but Georgiana and Otis were dancing not too far from them, so it was more like the four of them were dancing together, and then they were joined by Georgiana's friends.

Charlotte glanced over at Sidney a few times as she danced, and she couldn't help but notice that several of the attractive women who Crowe and Babington were talking to were flirting with Sidney, and very obviously, too. Sidney, however, although clearly aware of their attention, did not seem to be reciprocating their flirtations. He seemed to be being polite, and friendly, but he offered no more than that.

Charlotte felt more than a little guilty that she was relieved...glad, even, by this. She had no right to feel that way, and she knew it. The two of them were not attending the party as an actual couple, or even two people who were dating, and Sidney could flirt with whoever he wanted to flirt with.

Annoyingly, Charlotte's mind drifted to thoughts about the women who Sidney might be flirting with next week, or the weeks after that, when Charlotte had already left London…when she would likely be nothing but a distant memory to Sidney Parker. The thought was not a pleasant, or a comfortable one, and so Charlotte tried to distract herself with more dancing.

A little while later, Charlotte took another break from dancing, heading over to sit on one of the bar stools. She was soon joined by Sidney Parker, who had already been standing by the bar, while his friends talked to a group of women a few feet away. Sidney seemed grateful for a break from the constant conversations with party guests, and he kindly ordered a glass of water for Charlotte.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, with Charlotte observing the goings-on in the room around her…

She thought about how the people at the party seemed to lead such exciting lives, and although she was missing Willingden, Charlotte felt a bit sad at the thought that she would be leaving London behind tomorrow.

"Penny for your thoughts…?" Sidney asked her, just like he had asked her yesterday, apparently sensing an unhappiness in Charlotte's demeanour again, although, from the way Sidney was speaking, he was at the very least a bit tipsy now, with the alcohol that he and his friends had consumed throughout the evening no doubt starting to take effect.

Perhaps Charlotte's answer would just be a source of curious amusement to him, but Sidney did seem genuinely curious to know what was on Charlotte's mind.

Charlotte wished that she could talk to Sidney about their apparent shared dream, as this had very much been on her mind over the past twenty-four hours, and she was still very confused about what this connection might mean, but she felt that this was neither the time nor the place for such a discussion.

"Oh, I was just thinking about how fascinating everybody's lives here are," Charlotte chose to say instead, "and I was thinking about what my life will be like when I return to Willingden, and if it will seem a bit dull in comparison," she told Sidney honestly.

"You do a lot of good deeds, with your work at the bookshop," said Sidney, his tone surprisingly reassuring for someone who was not generally known for his sensitivity, and of course someone who was also currently well on his way to being drunk. "What you do is important, and holds value, and you should never doubt yourself. It is no easy task to run a business, but you make it look so effortless, and perhaps your hard work is underestimated at times, although this shouldn't be the case. Regardless of what happens in London, you have achieved a lot, and you should still celebrate your achievements."

Charlotte suspected that this was a continuation of the speech that Sidney had been about to give her at St James's Park yesterday, before they had been interrupted by Tom's phone call.

She also suspected that Sidney might have preferred to give this speech when he was a bit more sober, and without his friends within earshot, as it was clear to Charlotte, if not to Sidney, that they were listening in on the conversation.

"You are more valued than you know," Sidney continued. "…That is to say that the people in the village clearly care about you, and your bookshop provides them with a great deal of happiness, and perhaps something of a sanctuary, for those seeking an escape from the outside world…"

"Well, it certainly provides an escape for you," Charlotte couldn't resist saying, teasing him a little, "when you are trying to hide from your legion of admirers-"

"Do you truly believe that that is the only reason I visit your bookshop so often…?" Sidney asked her with a raised eyebrow, the expression on his face hinting at disbelief. There was a sincerity, an intensity in his eyes as he looked right at Charlotte.

"Is there another reason that I am not yet aware of?" Charlotte asked him, before she waited in anticipation for what Sidney might say next, feeling her heart start to beat faster, even though she had no idea what he was about to say, but she felt like this was an important conversation that they were having.

Before Sidney could say anything else however, he was interrupted by Crowe and Babington, who had hurried over to the bar.

"Okay, Parker, I think this conversation can wait until tomorrow, when you are a little more sober," Crowe told Sidney, his tone uncharacteristically firm, although there was a hint of amusement in his expression, too, while Babington nodded in agreement.

The two men led Sidney away from the table, promising Charlotte that they would return with Sidney soon, after they had got a bit of fresh air.

Charlotte sighed to herself as the three men walked away. She understood why Sidney's friends wanted to spare him the potential embarrassment of saying too much while drunk, but still she couldn't help feeling more than a little disappointed that Sidney had not had the chance to say whatever it was he had been about to say. What had been his other reason, for visiting the bookshop so often? Would Charlotte ever know?

The rest of the evening seemed to pass in something of a blur. Charlotte danced more with Arthur; she drank another cocktail that was decorated with pretty flowers; she talked a bit more with Georgiana, and with Sidney and his friends (Sidney seemed to have sobered up a bit after spending some time outside with his friends); Sidney introduced her to more people; she talked to more party guests, and before she knew it, it was very late, and Charlotte and Sidney were preparing to leave the party.

It had been a wonderful evening, although she did feel a bit disappointed that she had not had an opportunity to dance with Sidney.

There weren't many guests left at the party now. Charlotte said goodbye to Crowe and Babington, who were getting a taxi home.

"Hopefully we'll see you at Windsor this weekend!" Babington told Charlotte before he left, as he and Crowe shared knowing grins, which left Charlotte feeling a bit confused, as Sidney had said nothing to Charlotte about her potentially accompanying him to Windsor, or even if Sidney himself was planning on going.

She then said goodbye to Arthur, who was planning on sharing a taxi with Crowe and Babington. He explained to Charlotte that he was going to stay the night at Tom and Mary's house, before returning to the holiday resort tomorrow.

"I hope to see you and Sidney again at the woodland resort soon!" Arthur said with a smile as he said goodbye, which left Charlotte feeling a bit embarrassed, as she wondered what Arthur was assuming about her and Sidney-no doubt he thought that they were 'closer' than they actually were.

Charlotte also said goodbye to Georgiana's friends, who talked about following Charlotte on social media, so that they could stay in touch.

Georgiana and Otis had decided to travel home in the car with Sidney and Charlotte, as Sidney wanted to ensure that they got home safely. Sidney had asked Charlotte if this would be okay, and Charlotte had said that it would be-she was looking forward to talking to Georgiana and Otis more in the car. Sidney was planning to ask Anna to drop Georgiana and Otis off at Georgiana's house before heading to Charlotte's hotel to drop her off, before finally taking Sidney to his apartment.

After she had said her goodbyes, Charlotte waited by the exit doors at the back of the building while Sidney went to help Georgiana and Otis retrieve a few items from the cloakroom. She placed Angela's silver shawl over her shoulders as she took a moment to check her phone messages. Charlotte had been having such a good time at the party that she hadn't really thought to check her phone throughout the evening, and now she noticed that she'd received a couple of messages from her sister…

Alison had replied to the message containing the photos that Charlotte had sent her earlier in the evening, telling Charlotte how beautiful she looked in her princess outfit, and wishing her a good evening.

Charlotte sent her a quick reply, letting her sister know that she had enjoyed her evening.

Alison had also sent Charlotte a recently-taken photo of her own, a bit later in the evening. Guess where I am tonight? she had written in a message underneath the photo.

Charlotte knew at her first glance at the photo that Alison was at the local pub, back home in Willingden, and Charlotte couldn't help missing home on seeing her sister there, even though she was having so much fun in London. Her sister had posed for the photo in front of the newspaper stand, near the table where Charlotte and Alison had sat only last week, when they had been dreaming about what their futures might hold. It felt like a lifetime ago now, as so much had happened since.

One newspaper headline in particular stood out to Charlotte, behind Alison in the photo…

'His Majesty's Holiday in Willingden!'

It would perhaps not have caught Charlotte's attention, if Charlotte hadn't seen that same headline in her dreams more than once this week. After all, the news story had not previously taken much of her time or attention, when Charlotte had seen that same newspaper last week at the pub with Alison.

But now, Charlotte zoomed in on it, curious as to whether the newspaper could provide her with any insight as to why she kept seeing these words in her dreams.

She focused on the photo under the headline, as Charlotte had not really looked at it before. On zooming in, she could see the King in the photo, standing in what Charlotte knew to be the grounds just outside Willingden, with Lady Denham's manor house just visible in the background of the picture.

It was not the King however but the man wearing sunglasses standing next to His Majesty in the newspaper picture who commanded Charlotte's attention. Charlotte zoomed in a little more on the man, and her eyes widened in shock, as she knew who he was almost instantly, helped by the fact that she had been spending so much time with the same man over the past few days…

"The answer is already right in front of you…" Susan had told her in her recurring dream.

Charlotte almost let out a gasp at just how true those words were turning out to be.

"Are you ready to head outside?"

Charlotte almost jumped when her confused thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Sidney Parker's voice. She looked up quickly, almost guiltily, as though she had just been doing something she wasn't supposed to do; seen something she wasn't supposed to see, to see Sidney walking towards her, followed by Georgiana and Otis.

"Oh, right, yes," Charlotte managed to say, a little breathlessly, as she hastily put her phone back in her bag, trying to sound relaxed and as though she were not shocked about what she might have just discovered about Sidney Parker's identity, which no doubt was making her appear a little distracted. She hoped that Sidney would just assume she was feeling a bit tired.

Sidney glanced at her for a few moments, a hint of concern in his expression, but he became distracted as Georgiana and Otis hurried to open the exit doors, and he and Charlotte quickly fell into step behind them.

Charlotte was still feeling a bit confused about the newspaper picture she had just been looking at; still processing what it might mean, and she wasn't sure if she would have been able to coherently explain her thoughts right now.

And then there was a whole new, unwelcome distraction, as, seconds after the group stepped outside, they were 'greeted' by what looked at first glance to Charlotte like a sea of flashing lights, and it took her a few moments, as she blinked in shock and held her hands up to shield her eyes, to work out that there was a group of press photographers standing a few feet in front of them, effectively blocking the way to the waiting car.

Charlotte could hear a few of the photographers calling out Georgiana's name as they took photos.

Georgiana seemed more angry than anxious by their presence. "Who called them this time?!" she demanded of no one in particular, with a roll of her eyes and a very exasperated-sounding sigh.

Sidney however already seemed to be in 'protector mode'; he had stepped in front of the rest of the group and had his hands held out as though to shield them all.

It seemed that Sidney had instantly sobered up with the appearance of the photographers, and he looked like he was entirely focused now, all hints of having just been enjoying himself with friends at a party on his night off now gone as he surveyed his surroundings with the professional air of someone who did this for a living, which further confirmed the evidence that Charlotte had just seen in the newspaper photograph.

"That is not an immediate concern right now," Sidney said to Georgiana in a low voice, with the take-charge attitude and practiced air of someone who had experienced incidents such as these many times before. "We need to get back to the car as quickly as possible; don't give them anything that would be worthy of being published on gossip sites."

Charlotte was still reeling from what she had just seen in the photo that Alison had sent her, but she hastily reminded herself that she had more important matters to focus on right now.

And so, Sidney led the way through the chaos of shouting and flashing lights, ensuring that Charlotte, Georgiana and Otis stayed close and followed him, silently checking that they were all okay as he moved them expertly through the sea of photographers, holding his hands out as he ushered them through the crowd, and firmly shouting, "Get back!" whenever a few of the photographers got a bit too close.

Luckily, Sidney had a strong sense of authority about him, and the photographers listened to him, stepping back at Sidney's insistence, and even parting so that the group had a small path to get to the car. The paparazzi photographers could clearly tell that Sidney was not a man to be crossed in this situation, and Charlotte trusted him to lead the group to safety.

Sidney was clearly irritated, but not at all intimidated, by the photographers; it was as though he had been doing things like this for years without even breaking a sweat.

The photographers might have backed off a bit, but still they were relentless with their questions, most of which they aimed at Georgiana, asking her in loud, demanding voices about her personal life, her inheritance and events she had recently attended in London. Georgiana ignored them, but she still looked annoyed.

However, Charlotte soon became aware that the photographers were aiming some of their questions at Sidney, too…

"Sidney! How is His Majesty doing?"

"Parker! Will you be accompanying His Majesty on his upcoming tour of Australia?"

"Sidney! Can you confirm the rumours that you had concerns about security breaches at the last event?"

"Mr. Parker, will you be attending the upcoming event in Windsor with the King? Can you confirm if he'll be attending? He didn't attend last year, did he?"

And, with every question, and every flash of a camera, Sidney's profession became clearer to Charlotte, with the evidence also backed up by the photograph that Charlotte had seen a few minutes ago, and the other hints that she had picked up on during her time spent in London…

Sidney Parker really did have a very high-profile job.

Sidney Parker worked for royalty.

Sidney Parker was the King's bodyguard.

Chapter Text

The next few moments seemed to pass in something of a blur as Charlotte, Sidney, Georgiana and Otis (with Sidney still leading the way) focused on getting to their waiting car without anyone getting separated from the group or pushed over by any over-eager photographers.

Still in something of a state of shock about what the photographers' prying questions had just revealed to her about the mysterious Sidney Parker, Charlotte had remained almost frozen to the spot for a few moments as she put all the pieces together, with her mind still asking her even more questions, willing her to focus on what she had just discovered, despite the chaos surrounding her…but one glance at the determined look on Sidney's face reminded her to keep moving; this was not the time to obsess over what she had just found out; she had other, more important matters to focus on.

And so, Charlotte concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, allowing herself to be ushered towards the car by Sidney as Otis and Georgiana followed her.

The authority in Sidney's tone of voice seemed to persuade the photographers not to get too close to the car, where Anna was already waiting, having got out of the driver's seat to hold the doors open as the four of them approached.

They all got in quickly, with Sidney helping Anna to hold the doors open and checking that the rest of the group was in the car first before he got in himself, and then he checked that everyone was okay before he instructed Anna to drive away.

Charlotte had barely fastened her seatbelt when the car was already moving away from the pavement where the photographers stood, picking up even more speed as it approached the main road, with Anna clearly having done fast getaways such as these many times before.

"I can't believe that happened!" Georgiana exclaimed, the moment the flashes of camera lights were no longer visible through the car windows. She looked furious. "Well, actually, I can believe it, unfortunately, because they really are that disrespectful and inconsiderate, and desperate for a story, but I thought they might at least have had enough decency to give us a night off on my twenty-first birthday! And we tried so hard to keep this event low-key, too, and we put extra security in place. Someone must have tipped them off!"

"Georgiana," said Sidney, his tone patient, even as he typed rapidly on his phone, no doubt alerting his colleagues to the news that he had been photographed by paparazzi at a family event this evening, "I know what happened was far from ideal, and more than a little irritating, but you should try to put it from your mind, for now. I know it's easier said than done," he added, on seeing the look on Georgiana's face, "but you have had a good time celebrating your birthday with your friends and family, and getting angry about the press will only mean allowing yourself to think badly about what was otherwise an enjoyable evening. I highly doubt that you have given the press anything to gossip or speculate about tonight-you conducted yourself well, and their arrival was not your fault…However, if they do choose to invent any false stories, then you can meet with your team over the next couple of days to discuss damage control, and we will learn from this and increase security at your next event. But for now, you should try to enjoy the remainder of your evening. Don't let them win by taking that away from you."

Charlotte listened carefully to Sidney's speech to Georgiana, and she suspected that Sidney was putting on something of a brave face, trying to hide his own irritation at the press intrusion, and the additional complications the arrival of photographers might create for him, given his line of work, but his words seemed to calm Georgiana down all the same.

"Perhaps you are right," Georgiana conceded, as she sat back a little in her seat.

"It has been known to happen, at times," Sidney replied, with his typical hint of sarcasm that Charlotte was starting to find endearing.

Georgiana's body language was more relaxed as she talked to Charlotte and Otis about the events of the evening, showing them a few group photos she had taken on her phone, which she promised to send to Charlotte.

Charlotte suspected that Georgiana was trying to distract herself now from her disappointment at how the evening had ended.

Meanwhile, Sidney continued to send message after message on his phone.

As for Charlotte, she was still in something of a state of shock due to the events and discoveries of the evening, but she reminded herself that Sidney and Georgiana had much more to be preoccupied about, given that tabloid gossip and rumours likely had a direct impact on their careers and their public image, while this was not something that Charlotte had to worry about when it came to her own career, and so her concern was more with them than with herself.

It turned out that Georgiana didn't live very far from The Fable, as it wasn't long before the car pulled up outside a fancy Georgian-style building, where Georgiana's flat was apparently located.

Georgiana and Charlotte exchanged contact details, promising to stay in touch, before both Georgiana and Otis said goodnight to Charlotte, Sidney and Anna before getting out of the car together, talking in low voices as they made their way towards the front door, no doubt making further disparaging comments about the press as they headed inside.

Sidney watched to ensure that Georgiana and Otis were safely inside, and then he became distracted by a phone call as the car pulled away. Charlotte picked up a few words as he spoke on the phone, like 'damage control', 'meeting' and 'tomorrow'.

It was rather odd to Charlotte, to see Sidney acting so decidedly like the bodyguard he was while still dressed as a handsome prince.

Charlotte was left to her confused thoughts for a few minutes as the car made its way towards her hotel…

The King's bodyguard…

Charlotte's mind brought her back to her recent discovery about Sidney Parker as she looked out the car window. She wrapped Angela's sparkling silver shawl even tighter around her shoulders, as through it could provide some sort of comfort.

She felt a few missing pieces of the puzzle she hadn't even known she'd been trying to solve slide slowly into place.

She had been shocked in the moment of discovering what Sidney did for a living, but on reflection, she knew it shouldn't have been all that surprising. In some ways, it made a lot of sense, that this was Sidney's job-he had seemed comfortable at the royal locations in the city; the staff members in these places seemed to know him well; even Lady Denham had hinted to Charlotte that the King at least knew of Sidney Parker, but at the time, Charlotte had been too caught up in recently receiving an invitation to the ball to think too much about what Lady Denham might have revealed about Sidney.

Now however, Charlotte felt like she should have worked it out sooner. All the clues were there, right in front of her.

Not to mention that Sidney had had an air of strength and protectiveness about him for as long as Charlotte had known him. He had easily fought three strong men at Lady Denham's ball. And he was so observant, taking in his surroundings everywhere he went, always seeming vigilant, and guarded with his own emotions when he was out in public.

And only a couple of days ago, Charlotte had for a few moments been almost certain that she'd heard the King's voice on the phone late at night, when Sidney had been having a secretive conversation in the hotel lounge, but then she'd dismissed that thought, telling herself how unlikely, how impossible the very idea that she'd heard the King's voice was, dismissing what she was hearing as simply a product of lack of sleep and her overactive imagination. But she really had heard what she'd thought she'd heard.

The King's bodyguard…

It was such an important, prestigious job; a job that no doubt brought a lot of responsibility and worries with it. No wonder Sidney was rather secretive about it, Charlotte thought; no wonder he was careful about who he shared the details of his work with.

Then Charlotte started to worry that Sidney would be disappointed that she had now discovered the secret of his employment.

Would he have ever told her himself, if the press hadn't taken the decision out of his hands? It was not as though he had taken any definitive steps to tell her, after all.

Would he have preferred for Charlotte to have never known?

Through the car window, Charlotte caught glimpses of several London homes, the streetlights near the houses seeming to flash through the window.

The London streets looked even more beautiful at night, and again, Charlotte felt a little sad at the thought of leaving this city behind tomorrow. She never would have thought that she would miss this city so much.

She felt like she still had so many questions-about Sidney, about Charles, and yet, it was looking likely that she would have to leave the city before she found all the answers she was seeking.

There was still so much she wanted to ask Sidney, not only about being a bodyguard-she still felt like Sidney had had more to say tonight, when he'd been talking to Charlotte at the bar about how her career truly was meaningful, and he'd hinted that there were other reasons why he visited her bookshop so often, before the conversation had been interrupted. Charlotte wanted to know more about him, but time was running out to do so, and it never seemed to be the right moment to get the full answer.

Lost in her thoughts, she wasn't even aware that Sidney had now finished his phone call, but she felt rather than saw that he was staring at her rather intently now.

She felt something akin to goosebumps on her skin as she looked at him, although she couldn't quite explain why, as she was not feeling afraid, or nervous.

"Are you alright?" Sidney asked her, concern in his expression, and it took Charlotte a few moments to work out that he was checking that she was okay after the encounter with the press.

Charlotte thought that perhaps there was something in her facial expression that made her look preoccupied, or distant, which Sidney had likely taken for her being in shock after the run in with the photographers. Perhaps he thought that Charlotte would be more likely to admit that she was shaken up by the events of the evening now that there was less of an audience in the car, and he was trying to give her an opportunity to do so.

"I'm okay," Charlotte told him, trying to sound reassuring. "I'll admit that the presence of all those photographers tonight was a bit…unexpected, and a little unnerving, but I'll be fine, when I've had a bit of sleep and the initial surprise of it all wears off…Honestly, I'm more concerned about how you, Georgiana and Otis are. It seems that press intrusion can really impact your careers, and Georgiana sounded very angry, and your phone call sounded quite serious…"

"We will be fine," Sidney promised, now sounding like he was the one doing the reassuring. He sounded so confident in what he was saying however that Charlotte couldn't help but trust him. No wonder the King relied on him so much. "The press intrusion can be annoying," Sidney added, "and of course care always has to be taken that we are not the subject of rumours or gossip, and obviously, given the nature of my work, I would prefer for my picture to appear in the media as little as possible. But it is nothing that we haven't dealt with before-as my grandmother likes to say, sometimes I 'bring it on myself', as she reminded me after the night of the ball, when my behaviour was less than exemplary. You should not worry about us, though. I will attend a meeting with my colleagues tomorrow morning to ascertain whether any liaison with the press is required as a form of damage control, although it is likely that the media will have found more interesting matters to report by tomorrow morning…"

Charlotte felt like Sidney wouldn't have spoken in so much detail to her before she had got to know him better this week. She felt like he was opening up to her now, little by little, and this made her feel happy, despite the strange circumstances.

"Georgiana and Otis have a team who can assess whether any damage control is required on their part," Sidney continued. "We will also consider how the photographers managed to breach the security that was put in place at Georgiana's party, for future reference, but other than that, all we can do is move on. Unfortunately, this goes with the territory of the work I do. It is not something I am overly concerned about…as long as you are not too shaken up from it?"

"I'm fine," Charlotte reassured him again, grateful for his concern, especially at a time when he should have been more concerned about himself.

Sidney nodded, seemingly satisfied with Charlotte's answer.

It wasn't long before the car was pulling up outside Charlotte's hotel.

Sidney insisted on accompanying Charlotte to the door, to ensure that she got inside safely. And so, Charlotte said goodbye to Anna while Sidney got out to open Charlotte's door for her. She was aware that this could be the last time she saw Anna before Charlotte left the city. Even the thought of it made her feel rather upset.

She couldn't help but wonder if she would even get to see Sidney again before she left London tomorrow, or if he would simply decide to head to Windsor after all when his morning meeting was over and leave without saying goodbye.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll meet again," Anna told Charlotte cryptically, almost with a knowing smile, when Charlotte said goodbye, before she wished her goodnight.

Sidney accompanied Charlotte to the front door, where Charlotte typed in the code to enter the building. She pushed the door open, and she was just about to thank Sidney for a wonderful evening, and tell him that she hoped his meeting went okay tomorrow, all the while sensing that Sidney had something else to say but seemed to be struggling to find the words for whatever it was, when they were both distracted by the sight of Mary, who was walking around the hotel's entrance hallway, moving a few things around with one hand, while her other wrist was bandaged…

Charlotte remembered that Mary definitely hadn't been wearing a bandage earlier in the evening, which only added to her concern, as it seemed that this had been some sort of recent injury, that might require medical attention.

Mary looked a bit tired, too, and Charlotte felt bad that Mary had to work so late tonight. Charlotte remembered how tiring it could be, when she had to work late nights at the bookshop, usually during new book release weeks.

"Mary, are you alright?" Sidney asked, instantly in protective mode, the worried look on his face matching Charlotte's feelings of concern.

Charlotte had already taken a step forward, and she nodded at Sidney, who appeared to be waiting for Charlotte's permission to enter the hotel, ever the gentleman, still honouring his promise to respect Charlotte's space while she was staying here.

Sidney took fast steps towards Mary, inspecting her hand with the air of someone who was worried, but had been taught to stay calm during any sort of crisis.

"I'm fine, it's okay," Mary hurriedly tried to reassure Sidney and Charlotte, looking embarrassed at having caused any sort of fuss. "It's an old injury," she explained to Charlotte as she held on to her injured wrist with her other hand, "a weakness that has been aggravated, probably because I was being overly ambitious in helping to lift heavy suitcases this evening…"

"I'll go and get the First Aid kit," Sidney said anyway.

Charlotte had no doubt that Sidney had First Aid training, due to the nature of his work, and she thought it was sweet, that Sidney was so caring and protective of his family.

"There's no need," Mary insisted. "I've bandaged it up as best I can, with the help of a couple of staff members who were working late with me tonight-they're both First Aid trained, and they've been very helpful-they've only just left after a busy evening's work. Tom's arranged a doctor's appointment for me first thing tomorrow morning, too, with our family doctor. And I only have about half an hour left before I'm due to head home-"

"Anna and I will drop you off at home," Sidney said quickly, his tone determined.

"That won't be necessary," Mary replied, her tone equally insistent. "Tom's just about to head here-he said he'd come and get me himself. He wants to confirm that I'm truly okay before we head home, as there is a medical centre quite near to the hotel…not that that will even be necessary," she added, on seeing the increasing concern on Sidney's face, "but he is being overly cautious, all the same. Tom wouldn't normally be able to leave the children, but luckily, Arthur has agreed to look after them tonight until we get back, now that he is back from the party…"

"I'll ask Anna to go and get him," said Sidney, looking glad to be able to offer some sort of help after all. It seemed he thrived when he felt like he was being of use to people, a trait that Charlotte never would have guessed at only a few weeks ago. On the surface, Sidney Parker did not come across as a very sensitive, caring person, but this week, Charlotte had learned that at a deeper level, Sidney showed how much he cared about his loved ones, in his own way. "She'll likely drive there and back quicker, and in a calmer state than Tom..."

Sidney stepped outside for a few moments, and it wasn't long before the car was leaving to go and collect Tom, with Sidney insisting that he would wait at the hotel until Tom arrived.

"It's just a shame that my late-night shift has ended up causing all this extra work," Mary said with a sigh when Sidney returned to the entrance hallway, "Tom's already been working a lot of late nights recently…"

While Sidney tried to reassure Mary, Charlotte couldn't help feeling sympathy for her. She could already tell that both Mary and her husband were working long hours at the moment, doing the best they could while trying to balance running a business with raising a young family, to the point where Mary was feeling guilty at even the idea of creating any extra work for her loved ones.

"Oh, but Charlotte," Mary said suddenly, as though just remembering something, her tone apologetic, "I won't be able to help you with your dress now…" She looked regretfully from the buttons of Charlotte's dress to her bandaged wrist.

With everything else that had happened this evening, Charlotte had all but forgotten about the delicate buttons at the back of her dress, and how Mary had promised her earlier in the evening that she would help her with the buttons that were more difficult to unfasten when she got back from the party, as Charlotte had been uncertain whether she could do it on her own. After Lady Denham's ball, Charlotte had had her mother to help her.

Knowing that Mary would be working late tonight, and with her mind on other things, Charlotte (perhaps naively) hadn't really considered what she would do if there was no other woman who could help her when she returned to the hotel.

"I'll be fine, please don't worry," Charlotte said anyway, trying to sound more confident than she felt about her ability to quickly unfasten all the buttons down the back of her dress by herself when she'd had Mary's help at the start of the evening, as she didn't want to give Mary anything else to feel guilty about. It was clear that there was enough on her mind already.

"But all those buttons will be rather difficult for you to unfasten by yourself, and they could take you a while," said Mary, sounding like she was feeling guilty all the same. "There aren't any other guests still in the hotel lounge at this late hour who might be able to help, or I would have asked them, and I'm sure you want to get ready for bed as quickly as possible, after a busy day. Angela is here, of course, but she's been in her room since you left-"

"I don't want to wake her, either," Charlotte agreed.

She wished she'd remembered about her dress buttons moments earlier, as she could have maybe asked Anna to help her before she drove away to pick up Tom.

As Charlotte and Mary got into further debate about the buttons on Charlotte's dress, with Charlotte briefly removing Angela's shawl from around her shoulders and trying to reach her hands around to the back of her dress in an attempt to demonstrate to Mary that she could in fact unfasten the buttons herself, and instead proving Mary's point that this was going to be too tricky for her when it came to the buttons higher up on her dress, with Mary then trying and failing to unfasten the buttons with her hand that wasn't injured, Sidney stood there with an expression on his face that suggested he was feeling uncharacteristically out of his depth with this particular discussion.

The look on his face also suggested that this was the last sort of conversation that he wanted to be having right now. He seemed rather grateful for the distraction of constant message notifications on his phone.

"Oh, but Sidney is here," Mary said to Charlotte in a quiet voice a few minutes later, as though suddenly remembering that Sidney was in the room after getting distracted by the detailed discussion about buttons. "Perhaps he could help you, just with the top buttons? I know it's probably not the most ideal solution to the problem," Mary added, her tone apologetic again, as both Charlotte and Sidney widened their eyes a little, "but I can't think of another way of going about this right now that doesn't involve waking up other guests…Is Sidney helping you something you'd be comfortable with, Charlotte?"

And so, it was a combination of not wanting to cause Mary any more distress, a reluctance to wake up any of the other women who were staying at the hotel to help her so late at night, or to wait too long until Anna returned, just in case she did take a while to drive to Tom and Mary's house and back, along with Sidney's mumbled, "I can help you, if you truly are comfortable with my doing so…" that led to Charlotte standing in front of the full-length mirror in her hotel room, with Sidney standing behind her, still dressed like a handsome prince, helping Charlotte to unfasten the buttons of her dress, while Mary stood just outside in the hallway, in an effort to make this situation a bit more comfortable for Charlotte, talking on her phone to Tom, who sounded very concerned about his wife, from what Charlotte could overhear of the conversation.

The situation was slightly awkward and embarrassing, as Sidney was not exactly a friend of Charlotte's, and Charlotte was not used to men helping her with her clothes in hotel rooms, but Charlotte knew that she trusted Sidney, after everything they had been through this together this week; she would not have agreed to let him help her if this hadn't been the case, and she knew that he would be a gentleman.

Even Sidney looked…not embarrassed exactly, as he was still very composed, as usual, but maybe a bit befuddled, like he had not anticipated a moment like this in front of the mirror when he'd been planning the evening.

He had checked several times whether Charlotte was comfortable with him being there in her room, and whether she truly was okay with him helping her with her dress. Charlotte was touched by his concern, and even though she would never admit it to anyone, least of all herself, her skin felt a bit tingly every time she felt Sidney's hands on her back, even through the fabric of her dress.

Charlotte had decided that it would be more practical, for Sidney to help her start to unfasten her dress in her hotel room, so she would already be in the room when she finished getting ready for bed.

Besides, in contrast to the entrance hallway, there was more than one mirror in this room, and the positioning of a smaller mirror on the wall behind the full length mirror meant that Charlotte could see what Sidney was doing, and instruct him on how to unfasten the buttons, and a few of the little lace bows also at the back of the dress, if necessary.

Not that Sidney needed much instruction; he unfastened each button and bow gently but with a quiet confidence, like he knew exactly what he was doing…

It's like he's done this many times before, helping other women to unfasten the buttons on their clothes, in situations that were slightly different to this one, to say the least…Charlotte's thoughts supplied for her, unhelpfully.

She couldn't believe that she was actually feeling feelings of jealousy towards all the women who Sidney had possibly previously helped to get undressed…

Sidney Parker is NOT helping you to get undressed! Not really, anyway! Charlotte's more rational thoughts tried to remind her, frantically trying to cut off this particular train of thought, before her mind went to slightly more risqué places.

She wondered why her thoughts were going to these places in the first place, when she had come to London to find Charles; when her social media followers were rooting for her to find her fairytale ending by reuniting with her handsome fairytale prince from the ball; when Sidney was only here in the first place because he had agreed to help her, to right his wrongs and reset the balance after he believed he had ruined Charlotte's evening at the ball.

Still Charlotte had to fight her own thoughts as she tried to ignore just how strange and new and different this moment was, so as not to feel too embarrassed about the fact that Sidney Parker really was unfastening her dress in front of a full-length mirror in the low light of the hotel room, while looking very handsome. Not to mention that it felt…nice, the feeling of Sidney's hands so close to the now bare skin of her upper back…

He is simply helping you to unfasten a few buttons, to help you on a practical level, because there is no woman at the hotel available to help you right now! That is all! Charlotte's thoughts all but screamed at her. It seemed very important right now, to focus on the practicality of this situation; to not think about it in any other way.

In another attempt to distract herself, Charlotte started to take out a few silver clips from her hair, so she would have something to do, instead of staring at Sidney in his prince's costume in the mirror. A few loose curls started to tumble down, framing her face as she removed more clips.

Charlotte was trying to be logical, to distance herself from some of the thoughts she was having, but still there was some sort of tension in the room, and Sidney seemed to be having some sort of internal debate going on whenever Charlotte caught a glimpse of his face in the mirror, like there was still something he wanted to discuss with Charlotte, but he didn't quite know how to put what he wanted to say into words, especially in a situation like this.

"So," said Charlotte carefully, after a few moments of silence that might have been a bit tense, in an effort to break the ice, "you're the King's bodyguard…?"

After her recent discovery about Sidney, Charlotte felt especially curious to know more, but she was also aware that Sidney had, up to now, been rather private about his career (and likely for good reason, given the nature of his work), and this secrecy could still continue, even after Charlotte had just accidentally discovered what he did for a living.

After all, she wasn't exactly in Sidney's inner circle of friends, and she didn't know if he truly trusted her enough to really talk about anything personal with her.

And so, even though Charlotte wanted to give Sidney the opportunity to talk about what she had just discovered, she also vowed to continue to respect his privacy, if he did not want to go into detail about his career.

In the mirror, Sidney seemed to be lost in his thoughts.

"Yes…" he said, after a few moments of consideration.

Charlotte thought this might be all that Sidney said on the matter, but a few moments later he continued…

"My close friends and family know what my job title is, but like I said at St James's Park, they don't always know the details of my work on a day-to-day basis. It is often easier to tell those I am close to what I do, as it can be hard to conceal my work from those around me, although there are limits to what I share…but of course, there are times when discoveries are made by accident, which I have no control over," he said, with a quirk of his lip, looking almost amused for the first time since the encounter with the press.

"Yes, well, sorry about that," Charlotte responded with an apologetic smile of her own.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Sidney reassured her. "I knew from the moment I agreed to help you in London that there was a possibility you would find out, and I'd accepted that possibility. Perhaps I should have told you sooner…"

In the mirror, Charlotte could see the guilt, the hint of regret in Sidney's eyes. A part of her suspected that he was regretting more than what had happened tonight.

During their encounters in Willingden, Sidney Parker had always seemed so unreadable to Charlotte-a closed book. But recently, Charlotte felt like he was opening up to her slightly, after spending so much time together in London this week, and it was now easier to interpret the expressions on his face, and the sea of emotions in his eyes-a sea that had so often looked stormy in Willingden, but now looked calmer.

"How did you decide that it was what you wanted to do as a career?" Charlotte asked him, partly to change the subject so that Sidney didn't punish himself with yet more feelings of guilt (Charlotte already had a feeling that Sidney carried many burdens in his life, taking on the worries of others along with his own), and she did not want to add to his troubled thoughts…but also partly because she was ever more aware that Sidney's hands were going lower as they unbuttoned the final buttons on her dress, and she felt like she needed a distraction from that.

"I had acquaintances who were in a similar line of work," said Sidney, "and so I knew early on what the job entailed. My grandmother also introduced me to acquaintances of hers who had connections in the city and provided useful advice. When I first moved to London, I had already started training, in the hope of being offered a permanent role in royal protection. The physical training was demanding, but I found it to be beneficial in many ways; it helped to clear my head and focus my thoughts. I worked hard to get the role, but I cannot deny that I have also been very lucky. Almost by chance, I was introduced by Susan to a royal…friend of hers, and I ended up spending a year working as one of his bodyguards, while completing my training, which offered excellent preparation for my current role, and by then, I knew that it was what I wanted to do full-time."

Instantly, Charlotte knew that Sidney was referring to the prince who Susan had loved during her youth; the prince who had broken her heart.

As Charlotte and Sidney fell into silence for a few moments, Charlotte thought about how gracious it was of Susan, to introduce Sidney to this man in order to help further Sidney's career, despite her history with this mysterious prince.

"There's something else I've been wanting to talk to you about," Sidney said eventually, as he paused in unfastening the buttons on Charlotte's dress.

Charlotte's curiosity was heightened as she wondered what Sidney wished to discuss. A part of her hoped he would revisit the conversation they'd been having at the party, but she knew this was unlikely.

After a brief silence, he said, "On reflection, I think it will be a good idea if I attend the ball at Windsor Castle tomorrow evening…"

Charlotte realised that Sidney really did have an open invitation to attend a ball at Windsor Castle, and not just a ball in the village of Windsor. It made sense, she thought, given what she had just discovered about his work.

"And I'm sure you've already heard Crowe and Babington give their 'persuasive' arguments as to the benefits of attending," Sidney added, with a roll of his eyes, although there was affection in his expression, too.

It was clear that Sidney listened to his friends' advice, eventually, even though he sometimes like to pretend that he didn't.

"I would feel better being there either way," he continued, "should my assistance be required in any matter, especially as I am due to return to work soon anyway, and my family will no doubt feel reassured, knowing that I am at least trying to 'enjoy myself' for an evening before focusing on work again," he said, with a hint of sarcasm, and perhaps also humour. "Either way, I can invite guests to these royal events, and as several of the guests who regularly attend the balls at my grandmother's house also attend the ball in Windsor, particularly those connected to soldiers and the King's Guard, I was wondering if you would like to go, too? I understand that it is all very last minute, and there is no obligation, but if you do wish to attend, I could pick you up at the hotel tomorrow, at around midday, after the meeting," he finished, speaking a bit faster than he typically did, almost like he was trying to convince Charlotte, and maybe even himself, that this was a good idea.

Charlotte wondered if it was possible that Sidney genuinely wanted her to go with him-as much as he seemed to dislike attending formal events, maybe he didn't mind the idea of attending with her; she wondered if Sidney had actually enjoyed her company this week, beyond honouring his promise to help her. Perhaps he had come to see Charlotte as more than an almost-stranger who he had agreed to help simply to right his own past wrongs; perhaps he actually enjoyed spending time with her…or perhaps this was all just wishful thinking on Charlotte's part, and really this was just the final part of Sidney's agreement to do his best to help her find Charles, Charlotte's more pessimistic thoughts tried to tell her.

"I spoke to Mary and Tom earlier this evening," said Sidney, interrupting Charlotte's thoughts, "and they are happy for you to check out of the hotel a bit later tomorrow, if that would be more convenient? It would give you more time to revisit London's landmarks tomorrow, to do one more search for the man you are looking for. After you check out, you could bring your luggage to Windsor with you, and I could ask Anna to drive you back to Willingden on Sunday. At the very least, it would extend your trip by one more night…The odds of finding your 'prince' in Windsor are still not entirely favourable," Sidney reminded her, as though trying to be cautious, to not get Charlotte's hopes up, "but there is still a possibility of him being there. It is better than nothing, I suppose."

The odds might not have been great, but Charlotte did not need much convincing. She had just been invited to attend a ball at a castle, after all.

"Yes," she agreed, almost giddy with excitement. "I'd love to go to the ball in Windsor…thank you."

As Sidney returned to unfastening the final buttons on her dress, Charlotte felt relieved, joyful even, at the thought of getting to stay on this journey for even a little bit longer. She didn't even have to think too much about the practicalities of travelling to and staying at Windsor Castle…it seemed that Sidney had thought of all that for her already. She would not be returning home tomorrow, after all. She did not yet have to admit defeat. It was not over yet. She still had a chance of accomplishing what she came here to do.

As she said yes, she could almost imagine that she could see a sprinkle of fairy dust in the air…although she couldn't quite explain it, something just felt right about her decision to go to Windsor tomorrow; she just had a feeling that she would find what she was looking for there; that fate might intervene and the universe might finally work its magic so that all her questions could be answered.

Charlotte also couldn't help feeling relieved that even after the more dramatic events of the evening, including her discovery of exactly what Sidney did for a living, Sidney was apparently still happy to ask Charlotte to accompany him to Windsor, and comfortable enough to attend a royal ball with her, especially as it seemed likely that members of the royal family would be attending…perhaps even the King himself. Even the thought of being among royal guests made Charlotte feel nervous, and she hoped she wouldn't feel out of her depth at the ball, as she really was looking forward to attending.

"All done. I'm sure you'll manage the rest…"

Charlotte was distracted from her muddled thoughts by Sidney's words, and it took her a moment to realise that he was referring to the buttons on her dress that he had been helping her to unfasten. The only fastened buttons that remained were the ones lower down on her dress that Charlotte could unfasten herself. She could see why Sidney had avoided them, because it would be a bit too intimate, for his hands to go even lower.

"Oh, yes…thank you," Charlotte said, suddenly sounding a little breathless, and wondering why she felt a little dazed as she locked eyes with Sidney in the mirror.

She was becoming even more aware that she was standing in front of a mirror in her bedroom with her dress half-unfastened, with Sidney Parker standing behind her, his reflection still looking very handsome.

Sidney inclined his head a little, as though to silently say 'You're welcome', but he too seemed lost for words as they continued to look into each other's eyes through the mirror.

The tension seemed to be thick in the air around them, as though something had shifted in the atmosphere.

So many unspoken words seemed to dance in the small space between them, and Charlotte couldn't quite explain this sudden shift; she just knew that in this moment, Sidney's reflection in the mirror held all her attention, and she was entranced by the expression on Sidney's face; his expression seemed to convey emotions that went even deeper than the intensity he had shown when he'd been dealing with the press only a short time ago…in some ways, it felt like hours ago now, although here, in these precious few moments, time seemed to be standing still.

In this moment, Charlotte almost seemed to forget that Mary was standing just outside the door; it felt like she and Sidney were the only two people in the entire hotel.

Sidney looked so handsome, Charlotte thought. He always looked so handsome. But there was more to him than that, as Charlotte knew all too well. This week, she had seen a kinder, more caring side to him-he was protective of his loved ones, generous to his family, friends and colleagues; he had gone above and beyond to help Charlotte on her journey in London, when he really didn't have to be so generous to her; he could also smile and tell jokes and be light-hearted and relaxed when the moment called for it.

Only last week, Sidney Parker had been a mystery that Charlotte had been openly reluctant to try to solve...but now, she wanted to find out more clues about who he was.

Charlotte was confused about what was happening, and this unspoken connection they seemed to be sharing, and she couldn't put into words what she was thinking or feeling.

Still, she felt drawn to Sidney's reflection, as though it could provide her with all the answers.

Whatever was happening, it felt like they were having some sort of moment between them.

Perhaps she was just caught up in the magic of the evening, the more rational part of her mind desperately tried to tell her...the fairytale costumes, the adrenaline rush of the recent encounter with the press, and the discovery about Sidney's career. Perhaps she was only imagining that they were staring so deeply into one another's eyes through the mirror. After all, mirrors did not always tell the truth. But still, Charlotte couldn't deny that she wanted to be closer to Sidney.

Charlotte turned her head slightly so that she was looking directly into Sidney's eyes.

They seemed to look at each other for a long time, even though it might only have been moments…but then, it was as though the spell had been broken when Sidney took a slight step back, and the guarded expression returned to his face. Charlotte could sense him putting a bit of distance between the two of them.

"Yes, well, I should…" he said, his tone sounding less confident, less sure than usual as he gestured in the direction of the hotel room door. "It is very late, and we have the journey to Windsor tomorrow…"

"Yes…" said Charlotte in reply, trying hard to sound relaxed, casual and not at all disappointed that Sidney was about to leave.

It troubled her, that she was feeling regretful that the moment between them was apparently over, whatever that moment had been.

Sidney turned away from the mirror, and he seemed to take rapid steps towards the door.

The look on his face suggested that he was ready to leave the room, but it was different to the expression that had crossed his face during the encounter with the press-there wasn't the same urgency to escape, or irritation there now. Sidney's emotions now seemed more complicated than a simple wish to evade the flashes of the cameras. He seemed to have some sort of internal conflict going on, and Charlotte wished she could read his thoughts, especially as she felt rather confused herself.

She wished someone would provide her with the answer to a question she didn't even know she'd asked.

Sidney paused briefly in the doorway to tell Charlotte again that he would pick her up from the hotel tomorrow afternoon, and Charlotte felt relieved that recent events hadn't deterred Sidney in his wish to take her to the ball in Windsor.

And then Sidney had left the room, saying a brief goodbye to Mary (who told him that Tom had just arrived) in the hallway, before he left.

After also saying a quick goodnight to Mary, Charlotte went through the motions as she unfastened the rest of her buttons, took off her dress, removed her makeup and finished getting ready for bed, but she felt like her mind was elsewhere.

She kept replaying those moments with Sidney in front of the mirror, with him gently unbuttoning her dress as they looked into each other's eyes.

Even now, her skin felt a bit tingly with the memory of it.

Her thoughts then drifted to how handsome Sidney had looked, when Charlotte had walked down the stairs this evening and she'd first noticed that he was dressed as a prince, and how she'd felt connected to him during the party, when they'd been staring at each other from across the room; she also thought about how protective he had been, keeping her safe from the overbearing photographers; how caring he had been afterwards, checking that Charlotte was okay.

She felt like Sidney was now much more on her mind than Charles was.

Charlotte had hoped that sleep would provide her with a distraction from her confusing thoughts, but it was not to be…

She fell into her familiar dream, where she was dancing in a castle ballroom, before running down the castle's stone steps late at night, one of her stilettos remaining on a step as she headed towards the dark forest.

She could see the unicorn galloping around the forest, looking brighter than ever, but still the wolves howled in the distance as Charlotte ran towards the clearing. Alison, Susan and Lady Denham waited for her there, the newspapers flying around them in the night air.

If Charlotte was not mistaken, the newspaper with the headline about the King's visit to Willingden was no longer visible in this dream, and Charlotte assumed this was because the mystery connected to this headline had now been solved.

However, other pages of the newspapers remained, flying around in circles, and again, Susan said to Charlotte, "The answer is already right in front of you!", which made Charlotte think that there was some other mystery (or perhaps multiple mysteries) that she had yet to solve-some other answer that was right in front of her, that she was apparently not yet seeing.

She saw the man in his armour up ahead, and one of the wolves seemed to be getting closer, but then the scene in her dream shifted, and, for the first time in Charlotte's dreams, her dream-self was running up the stone steps of a spiral staircase, seemingly inside some sort of tall tower, while still dressed like a princess who had just attended a ball.

When she reached the top of the stairs, Charlotte found herself standing in a circular room, with a large, four-poster bed to her right, an intricate rug covering the stone floor, and a view of the forest visible from arched windows around the room.

Usually, in her recurring dream, Charlotte wished to escape the confines of the castle, but she did not wish to leave this fairytale tower-not yet, anyway.

She could hear footsteps on the stairs, the sound coming from just outside the tower's circular room. Already, Charlotte knew that the footsteps belonged to man who she wished to join her in her fairytale room. Even her dream-self knew that this man was not an intruder; Charlotte had invited him to be there; if anything, he was here to rescue her…from what, Charlotte didn't know. She was no prisoner here. Here, she actually felt free, uninhibited.

A glance over her shoulder informed her as to who had just arrived in the room, and it was not the handsome prince who Charlotte sometimes danced with in the castle ballroom in her recurring dream…

Sidney Parker was standing in the doorway of this dream tower now, an intense expression on his face as he looked right at Charlotte, his gaze seeming to burn into her.

Charlotte beckoned for him to come closer. They had both run up the stairs separately in this dream, but now, Charlotte felt like it was time for them to move closer together, if only in the world of dreams.

Sidney started to take steps towards her; with every step, he removed what looked like some sort of armour that he had been wearing, until his toned torso was on full display, with Charlotte's subconscious apparently 'helpfully' providing the image of a half-naked Sidney Parker in her dream that it had taken from the recent memory she had of their real-life encounter at the lake in the forest holiday resort-it was a memory that Charlotte wasn't sure she would ever be able to forget.

Charlotte took the final step towards Sidney, so that the two of them were standing oh-so-close to one another, and then Sidney was kissing Charlotte in her dream, with a passion that Charlotte had never experienced in a real-life kiss…she couldn't help but wonder where her mind had got such a perfect dream kiss from-perhaps from one of the many romance novels she had read at the bookshop. Whatever it was, Charlotte wanted more of it.

They seemed to kiss for long moments in the dream, as though they were going to be kissing for an eternity.

She could feel Sidney start to unfasten the buttons on her dress, and Charlotte also kicked off her shoes-different shoes now, which looked a lot like glass slippers. She was eager to be out of her princess costume, as it suddenly felt too restrictive.

Through the half-moon windows, the stars seemed to shine brightly in the night sky.

Charlotte started backing towards the four-poster bed, holding onto Sidney's strong forearms to steady herself, to bring him with her.

Sidney's lips barely left hers as Charlotte tumbled backwards onto the bed's luxurious covers, with Sidney following her down…

Then, suddenly, abruptly, perhaps too soon (although she would never admit to this), Charlotte woke up with a gasp.

She sat up in her hotel room bed, taking a few minutes to remember where she was and that she had just been dreaming.

Charlotte then put her hands to her face and fought off a blush as the images from her most recent dream, and the man who had played a starring role in it, came back to her…

"Oh, no," Charlotte whispered into the darkness of her hotel room, as a rather inconvenient realisation made itself more known to her.

She suspected that the images of Sidney she had just seen in her dream were going to make her real life even more complicated.

Chapter Text

Sidney Parker stood in front of the floor-length windows in the living room of his London flat, a cup of coffee held in his hand as he looked out at the early morning sky. There was a hint of sun from behind the clouds, but Sidney's focus was drawn to the shades of grey obscuring the sunlight.

After a few moments, he glanced over his shoulder, taking in the familiar sight of the living room, and the objects it contained-the mahogany bookshelf filled with classic books, the artwork on the walls, the expensive furniture, the pictures of his family displayed on various coffee tables, as well as the items he'd purchased on work visits to other countries.

He thought again about how lucky he was to have all that he had, and to have achieved all that he had achieved. He had worked hard for it, but he had been lucky all the same.

There was much to be grateful for, but the events of the past week had made Sidney question whether he wanted even more out of his life; whether there was more to be experienced in the life he was living…or, more specifically, whether there something he was missing out on-something important.

Sidney turned back to the windows and took another drink of coffee, hoping the caffeine would help in some way to prepare him for the day ahead. He was not particularly concerned about his upcoming meeting, which would focus on the encounter with the press last night-the press intrusion was irritating, but also not uncommon, and by now, Sidney was well-used to 'damage control' meetings after encounters with the paparazzi, and he would no doubt move on as soon as the meeting was done.

He was also used to getting through morning meetings even when his sleep had been disturbed by strange dreams, with last night's dreams being filled with strange images of tall towers, suits of armour and spiral staircases.

No, Sidney's true concerns lay squarely with how the rest of the day would play out…what would happen in Windsor in particular.

Already, Sidney was wondering if it truly had been a good idea to invite Charlotte Heywood to Windsor castle as his guest to the ball-not because he didn't want to spend more time with her, or because he wasn't still determined to do all he could to help her, in order to right past wrongs, and not because he didn't think she would enjoy being there (he was certain she would love the castle), but because a part of him felt that he had asked her to the ball for slightly selfish reasons…he was still trying to weigh up his desire to help Charlotte with his wish to have her there by his side at the upcoming event, and he felt rather guilty that he was wrestling with these two conflicting desires in the first place.

It felt wrong, to be getting anything out of this agreement for himself, however incidentally, when he had vowed to be Charlotte's selfless protector in London.

Sidney felt slightly uncomfortable about having gained in any way from her presence in the city, even if that gain was only a quiet, personal benefit of enjoying Charlotte's company…

However he tried to justify it, it was an unfortunate truth that Sidney had felt happier this week, not because he was back in London after spending time in Willingden, but because Charlotte Heywood was also in London with him. Unfortunate because this was only a temporary arrangement; it could not last.

Sidney's role as a royal bodyguard had opened many doors, provided him with opportunities and invitations, and contacts and connections, that he would once have barely dreamed of, but that didn't change the fact that Sidney had always felt like the outsider, the outlier, in every role he played in his life. He had lived in London at something of a distance from most members of the public, perhaps due to the nature of his work, or perhaps due to decisions of his to become more guarded, and there were also rivalries and resentments to consider whenever he attended events such as the ball in Willingden.

It was hard to know who to trust at times, and so he had always kept his inner circle small. His family had always been there for him, but Sidney was aware that they had lives of their own. Not to mention that most of his romantic relationships had never really worked out, and Sidney wasn't sure he could entirely blame his job for that.

And so, he had contented himself with being something of a loner in the city, finding happiness in his work and the few people he had known for years who he had a connection with.

And yet, this week, he had broken all of his unspoken rules about not getting too close to someone new in his life; someone who he had known for a while now he could potentially form strong romantic feelings for…or, if he were being truly honest, romantic feelings that were already there, just under the surface of the armour that Sidney wore so diligently every day, and for once, he had allowed himself to actually enjoy connecting with someone in the city who was not already in his inner circle. This week, Sidney hadn't felt as much like the outsider in the city; the observer of other people's day to day experiences; he had felt like a part of it, with Charlotte by his side.

But he knew that this momentary happiness would soon come at a cost…

Ever since his breakup with Eliza, Sidney had made a determined effort not to get too close to anyone new; to not let anyone in who could break his heart. Now, as he thought about what might happen after the party in Windsor, where Charlotte could ride off into the sunset with her 'prince', Sidney was remembering why he had made that rule in the first place. He was annoyed with himself for breaking it. He should not have allowed himself to get so close to Charlotte Heywood.

Sidney sighed to himself. He should have known that something like this would happen, as much as he had tried to avoid it. He had told himself from the start that he couldn't get too attached. He had known what their agreement would be when he first offered to help Charlotte Heywood.

Besides, he was used to keeping his distance, both in his professional and his personal life. It had got easier, with each year that passed, with each heartbreak he endured; he had thought he would be able to manage it this time, as well.

And yet, he already knew that nothing would make it any easier when Charlotte Heywood found her mystery man-as she inevitably would, one way or another-and Sidney and Charlotte had to part ways; when they would likely return to being nothing more than the casual acquaintances they had been before, who occasionally crossed paths in Willingden.

Reluctantly, Sidney let his thoughts drift to his first encounter with Charlotte Heywood in Willingden…

He had decided to pay a visit to the bookshop in the village, on his nieces' and nephew's recommendation, who had talked so enthusiastically about their visit to Charlotte's bookshop that Sidney had been curious to see the place for himself; to discover what had inspired so much wonder and joy in his nieces and nephew during a difficult time in their lives.

He remembered the almost instant sense of calmness and certainty that he had felt when he'd walked through the shop door and noticed Charlotte Heywood standing behind the counter, reading a book of fairytales.

Sidney had returned several times more after that first visit, eager to experience the sense of peace again that he had struggled to find anywhere else at that time.

Something about Charlotte Heywood had fascinated him…perhaps it was her kindness, or her optimism, or the way she genuinely seemed to care for her customers, or her determination and her work ethic…Sidney couldn't quite explain it, as Charlotte wouldn't typically have been his usual type, but still he couldn't deny that she had fascinated him more than any other woman he had ever met.

It had all felt new and different to Sidney, and there had been so much he had been curious about during his brief encounters with Charlotte at the bookshop and in the village; so much he had wanted to ask her…he'd wanted to know about her favourite books, and her life in Willingden, and what it was about fairytales that she found so fascinating.

He'd briefly considered attempting to strike up a more substantial conversation with her, maybe even asking her on a date, but then he'd heard that she was dating a boy in the village called James Stringer, and Sidney had told himself that he should not have been surprised on hearing this-of course someone like the happy and positive James Stringer who loved life in Willingden would have been her type, rather than the moody and distant bodyguard who usually only visited the village for work, our out of family obligation.

Her choice of man to date made sense, and was more logical than the idea of her dating someone like Sidney, but that didn't take away the sense of disappointment that Sidney had felt on hearing of Charlotte's new boyfriend through the sort of village gossip that he typically would have tried his best to ignore, in other circumstances.

Then Sidney had met Eliza, and he had convinced himself that this had been his fated meeting, rather than his first encounter with Charlotte at the bookshop. He had briefly allowed himself to believe that perhaps he and Eliza might be each other's happily ever after…until that particular illusion had been shattered, and any remaining faith that Sidney had had in the possibility of real-life fairytales had been lost with Eliza's betrayal.

Sidney took a deep breath before he took another drink of his coffee, as though the strong drink could soothe him in some way. His heart had all but healed now, from the breakup with Eliza, but still it made him uneasy, when he thought about the circumstances around their breakup, and Eliza's rapid engagement that had followed. At the very least, he hadn't been thinking about his past pain very much recently.

He was sure he must have appeared in an awful mood, every time he'd visited the bookshop after the breakup, due to a combination of hearing about the outcome of Eliza's disastrous engagement that had followed her breakup with Sidney, along with a couple of minor security breaches at work events at the time that had made him even more diligent and paranoid when he was on duty. He only hoped that Charlotte hadn't thought too badly of him at the time.

Since the breakup with Eliza, even the possibility of starting another relationship also made Sidney feel uneasy, and the idea of it had been something that he had been reluctant to consider.

But still he had continued to admire Charlotte from a very guarded distance, and he had still visited the bookshop rather often over recent months, seeing it as something of a sanctuary in Willingden, and definitely more than just an escape from his admirers in the village, as he had almost revealed to Charlotte last night, while under the influence of alcohol.

Sidney had been trying to move on from his initial feelings for Charlotte Heywood, but unfortunately, his admiration for her had only increased as he'd spent time with her in London this week.

He had noticed everything they had in common; he'd seen that their differences could be a good complement to each another. He had enjoyed spending time with her; the attractions of London that had previously started to seem rather mundane to him had suddenly started to appear beautiful again when experienced through Charlotte Heywood's eyes. Sidney had actually started to see the magic again, in life in London. He had woken up every day this week looking forward to spending time with Charlotte in the city, looking for excuses to do so, to increase their time spent together, trying to prolong her stay so that he did not have to say goodbye so soon.

But by inviting her to Windsor, Sidney knew that he had now only made it more difficult for himself, when she reunited with her 'true love'.

And he really did have a strange feeling that Charlotte would find her 'prince' in Windsor today, as illogical as it seemed, and his intuition had rarely led him astray before. As much as Sidney had been determined to help Charlotte, this prediction did little to ease his troubles.

His conscience was already struggling with the events of last night, not only with putting Charlotte in a situation-however accidentally-where she had to face the press with little preparation, but also the events that had happened afterwards…

Last night, in Charlotte's hotel room, Sidney believed that he had got a bit too close and let his guard down too much.

Already, he had almost said too much to Charlotte about why he visited her bookshop so often, and he'd struggled to conceal his thoughts about how beautiful she looked, dressed as a princess…how beautiful she always looked. As the alcohol he'd consumed had started to take effect, it had taken all of Sidney's efforts not to say out loud just how beautiful he thought Charlotte was.

One moment, he and Charlotte had been looking at one another through their reflections in the mirror, intense expressions on both their faces, and then Charlotte had turned away from the mirror so that were looking directly into one another's eyes, and Sidney was almost certain that they had both moved ever so slightly closer to one another, like they were drawn to each other, like they were having some sort of moment, even if the feeling that something was about to happen had been entirely in Sidney's head, which was a definite possibility…either way, he had suddenly felt it would be appropriate to put a bit of distance between them, so as not to complicate things further, and do the honourable thing by leaving her room.

This morning, in the cold light of day, Sidney had almost convinced himself that the 'moment' that had been shared between them had merely been a product of an adrenaline rush on Charlotte's part after the unexpected encounter with the press, or her imagination running wild after an evening dressed as a beautiful princess, with Sidney standing next to her dressed as a prince-all of it based on a feeling that wasn't real or substantial on her part, and merely a result of an image she'd thought she'd seen in the mirror, when she'd been caught up in the moment.

Whatever it had been, whatever explanation there was for it, it would not have been appropriate for anything to happen, in a situation like that, when Sidney had been in her hotel room, in a position of trust to help Charlotte Heywood unfasten her dress-a place he would never have been in the first place, if she'd had the option of help from one of the women in the hotel. He would not have been honouring his initial agreement to help her, if he'd allowed things to go any further.

Sidney had already had his concerns that he'd been crossing some sort of line by helping Charlotte to unbutton her dress in her room-he'd been concerned she hadn't had much choice in the matter, in the end, given the circumstances, and he hoped he hadn't made her uncomfortable by being there in the first place. Perhaps he should have better protected her from all of that. He would have to do a better job of protecting her today, if the circumstances called for it.

He felt he owed her an apology for everything that had happened last night. It couldn't have been easy for her, to encounter the press like that, and then to have to rely on Sidney to help unfasten her dress in her room after Mary's injury.

Whatever had happened, Sidney decided, it could not happen again. Not in circumstances such as these, when she was relying on Sidney to help her find the man of her dreams in London, and Sidney had no definite inclination of how Charlotte might truly feel about him.

Sidney became distracted by an incoming video call on his phone.

When he answered the call, Sidney could see the drawing room of his grandmother's manor house in Willingden on his phone screen. He could hear his grandmother, complaining loudly about 'never being able to work these things'. It looked like she had recently been playing some sort of card game, as there were cards spread all over the table. Sidney's cousin, Esther, walked around in the background, apparently looking for even more cards.

Sidney was glad that the two women were spending more time together. They were good company for one another, even though they would likely never admit to such a thing out loud, as they could occasionally clash due to their fiery tempers and blunt honesty.

Sidney often worried that his grandmother was feeling lonely in her manor house. At least she had someone there with her more often, now that Esther was close to her family again.

"I see you're still stubbornly refusing to admit your feelings for a certain someone in London!" his grandmother told him, by way of greeting.

"Hello to you, too, Grandmother," said Sidney in reply, his sarcasm obvious in his tone.

Sidney had been updating Esther on what he'd been doing in London this week, and no doubt his cousin had been sharing a few details with their grandmother…enough that she'd got the gist of what had been going on.

"I really thought something might happen between you and Charlotte Heywood, when she first mentioned to me that she was thinking about accepting your offer of help in London-she seemed genuinely interested to learn more about you, when she came to visit me," his grandmother continued, as though Sidney had not yet spoken.

Sidney tried not to get his hopes up too much at his grandmother's words about Charlotte-after all, his grandmother tended to assume that people were much more interested in her, and by extension all the members of her family, than they actually were.

"But of course you must continue to insist on being noble and honourable and 'doing the right thing'," his grandmother added, with obvious sarcasm of her own. "Which somehow always leads to you being miserable and alone while others are allowed their happiness at the expense of yours. This truly hasn't been a good week for my family," she said, with a melodramatic sigh, "and to make matters worse, I've heard that Rowleigh's sister is currently staying at your brother's hotel…no doubt she will be discreetly trying to find out all the gossip she can about me from my family members in London, to take back to her brother!"

Sidney felt that if this was the case, then the sister of his grandmother's former love was being especially discreet about her search for information, as Sidney had had no idea that she was staying at Tom's hotel, and Tom probably had no idea of her identity either. His grandmother, however, did not appreciate it when Sidney pointed this out to her.

"Hello, Sidney," said Esther suddenly, in a slightly raised voice, as she crossed the room in a few short strides and moved closer to the table, so Sidney could see hear her better over his grandmother's words of exasperation. "I hope you had a good evening at Georgiana's party. I was sorry I couldn't be there."

Discreetly, Sidney shared a grateful look with Esther. The two of them had become experts at providing interruptions and distractions when their grandmother got a bit overbearing.

Sidney talked a bit about last night's party, before Esther's expression turned apprehensive. "Did any uninvited guests show up?" she asked.

"Edward didn't put in an appearance, if that's what you mean," Sidney replied, and he could see the relief on Esther's face.

"That's good," said Esther. "I was worried he might show up there and spoil the party, especially with the guests wearing costumes, which would have made it easier for him…it would be just his thing to show up in disguise and try to sneak in…I'm glad he didn't, though, especially after what happened at Georgiana's previous birthday party..."

"Babington was at the party," Sidney couldn't help adding, partly to change the subject, but mostly as yet another attempt to help his friend, and to see if there was any possibility that Esther might be interested in him. "He was asking about you. He's a much better man than Edward is."

"Look," said Esther with a roll of her eyes, "if I agree to go for one drink with Babington when you and your friends are next in Willingden, will you promise to at least try to stop bringing him up in every conversation we have?"

"Deal," said Sidney, as he fought off a triumphant smirk. At the very least, his friend and his cousin might find happiness at the end of this journey.

Sidney's grandmother, however, had grown tired of not being a part of the conversation: "You are still being far too noble for your own good, Sidney! Why not just be honest about your feelings, instead of going along with this ridiculous notion of helping Charlotte Heywood chase some sort of 'fairytale prince', who may not even be who he says he is, all over London? You're a much better catch!"

"It is not that simple, Grandmother," Sidney responded, with forced patience. This was not the first time that they had had this sort of conversation.

"Only because you insist on overcomplicating things!" his grandmother asserted. "Just because I lost out on love when I was younger does not mean that I wish for my relatives to meet the same fate!"

"You do know that you would have the blessing of your family, if you and Rowleigh still wished to be wed," said Sidney, his tone sincere as Esther nodded in agreement.

"Oh, what do I want to be married again for?!" his grandmother responded, her tone impatient, perhaps because she sensed that Sidney was deflecting a little from her chosen topic of conversation. "I'm rich, I own the biggest house in Willingden, where I am adored by the people who live here, I can go to parties every single day if I choose, and I can spend time with my friends and family whenever I please! What more do I want? You, on the other hand, are deliberately letting happily ever after slip through your fingers! Time is running out!"

Sidney sensed that his grandmother was also perhaps deflecting a little, too, as the subject of possibly marrying Rowleigh after all this time was still painful to her, but Sidney didn't point this out to her.

When the phone call had ended, Sidney returned to his own troubled thoughts.

As much as he was hoping for Charlotte's happiness, he could not ignore a strange sense of foreboding about the day ahead. Sidney was not usually superstitious, but the grey sky above seemed to offer a hint that it would not all be sunshine and happily-ever-afters today.

Charlotte might have been eager to find Charles, but Sidney couldn't help feeling wary about what they might discover, if Charlotte really did encounter him at the ball in Windsor this evening. He felt it was rather suspicious, that this man had seemingly fled the ball in Willingden at midnight, with little explanation, and had apparently made no effort to get in contact with Charlotte ever since.

Was this man really who he said he was? Did he have secrets, something to hide?

Sidney felt protective of Charlotte, in a way that went beyond his typical sense of duty when it came to protecting people, and he didn't know if this mysterious man's intentions were genuine, or if there had been any truth to what he had told her. In Charlotte's eyes, this man was perfect-almost like a fairytale prince who had stepped out of a storybook. Sidney did not want her to get hurt. For her sake, he hoped that all she believed about this man turned out to be true, as much as it would pain him if it was.

As he finished his cup of coffee, Sidney debated (not for the first time) whether he should confess something, anything to Charlotte about his own feelings, but, again, he decided against it. It would not be fair to her, at this point in her search, when she had already got this far, and she could be on the verge of an important discovery.

Why complicate things now, when any confession he made could potentially lead to feelings of confusion or guilt for Charlotte?

Sidney could not burden her with his own feelings, when she had a life of her own to live, her future ahead of her. It would be selfish to do so. He had offered to help her in London because he'd genuinely wanted to do so, not because he'd been secretly hoping to take advantage of the situation and gain something for himself by the end of the journey. That was not the sort of person he wanted to be.

Besides, Sidney had for most of his adult life been very cautious when it came to starting any relationships, as there were always added complications to consider, when it came to his career. Any woman he started a relationship with would have to be very sure that she was prepared to live with the added scrutiny and increased risk that went with being with someone who worked in the public eye, in a job that always came with its dangers. She would have to be very sure of her feelings for Sidney, to accept living that kind of life; it was not the kind of relationship that could be entered into casually.

Sidney had no doubt that Charlotte would be able to cope very well with the scrutiny-she was a strong person, perhaps stronger than she knew, and she was brave, and intelligent, and kind-hearted, but it was a life that she would have to be very certain she wanted; she would have to sure that she wanted to be with Sidney.

And why would she even contemplate choosing that sort of life, a life that would bring several restrictions with it, when she had the option of more beauty and more freedom in a potential fairytale ending, with a man who acted like a prince?

Perhaps Charles was a genuinely kind man (a better man than Sidney, at least, he reasoned to himself, though not without a hint of bitterness), who had been longing to see Charlotte again. Sidney couldn't be the one to get in the way of a happy reunion like that.

Besides, before the events of last night, Charlotte had given Sidney no real indication that his feelings for her would be reciprocated (the fact that she had taken the time to travel to London in search of another man in the first place had rather negated that possibility right from the start), or that her feelings for the mysterious Charles were not what they had been at the start of the week.

She had once seemed to dislike Sidney in Willingden, whenever their paths crossed, and although she seemed to like him better now, that didn't change the fact that she was here in London, still searching for her mystery man from the ball, and she still seemed very determined to find him. She probably saw last night as some sort of glitch, a mistake on her part.

And only a couple of weeks ago, Sidney himself hadn't been sure that he was ready for any dating or romantic relationships again, after Eliza's betrayal.

With all of that in mind, Sidney vowed that if anything was ever going to be said about any potential feelings for each other, then Charlotte would have to be the one to take that first step and initiate that conversation; it would be a choice that she would have to make; a conclusion that she would have to reach herself.

Already, Sidney knew that it was highly unlikely that such a conversation was ever going to take place, and so he tried as best he could to put his feelings out of his mind, if only for a little while.

It would already be difficult enough, when he had to say goodbye to Charlotte tomorrow, knowing that the two of them would part and take different paths, and probably continue to live separate lives.

Why torment himself further with thoughts of what could have been-or what could be, if only the circumstances were different?

Why worry about what Charlotte might have to give up, if she chose a life with him, when that was a choice she was never going to make? It would only ever be a hypothetical worry, rather than a real one.

Since his recent heartbreak, Sidney had convinced himself that fate and destined meetings and happily-ever-afters did not exist. But perhaps they did. Just not for him. Perhaps Charlotte Heywood could have all of that. If anyone was deserving of a fairytale ending, it was her. And if she could have that, it would be wrong of him to stand in her way, to create anymore unnecessary obstacles on her journey, when her chances of finding this mysterious man were already slim.

Sidney sighed as he looked down at the grey ground below from his window, before he looked up at the sky again.

He had to put his own feelings aside and continue to help Charlotte find Charles, not matter what it cost him, as that was what he had promised to do.

He would have to face any obstacles head on and put on a brave face when the prince finally appeared. Bravery at least was something that he was good at, along with masking his true feelings. Kindness and humility on the other hand…well, he was still trying to improve in those areas, although he felt that Charlotte had already helped him a lot on his quest to show more kindness.

Either way, the knight in the story always had to do his duty; do what was right; put aside his own future happiness for the good of others; for the greater good.

The knight in the story did not end up with the princess. Sidney had known that all along. He had to learn to accept that, even as his own story and his dreams were starting to change a little; even though it would not be easy, now that he had been afforded a glimpse of what true happiness could be…even if that glimpse had only been through a reflection in a mirror.

Sidney felt like he was steeling himself-putting up a shield to protect his emotions, as he so often did, and preparing for some sort of battle, even if the battle would just be an internal one.

He knew that he would need some sort of armour today, if only metaphorically…most likely to guard his heart.

Chapter Text

By the time the grey clouds in the sky had made way for a few rays of sunlight on Saturday morning, Charlotte had half-convinced herself that she had only imagined the 'moment', the 'spark', the 'perhaps-almost-kiss'...whatever it had been, between herself and Sidney last night.

Maybe it had all been a product of her overactive imagination, she decided, as a sense of self-doubt started to fill her mind…Or maybe she had simply dreamed up the whole thing; made it into much more than it was. Perhaps she had seen something in the reflection in the mirror that hadn't really been there, due to a combination of tiredness after a long night and a busy week, coupled with the adrenaline rush that came with an eventful evening and being dressed up as a princess, with a handsome 'prince' standing close to her, after attending a fairytale-themed party.

After all, the mirrors in fairytale stories did not always reflect the truth.

Perhaps Sidney Parker had simply been watching her so intently in the mirror last night because he'd been concerned about her wellbeing after the run-in with the press, or maybe he'd been worried that Charlotte felt uncomfortable while he was effectively helping her to get undressed in her room-an assistance he'd only been providing because there had been no other alternative at the time. Maybe Sidney had just been silently checking that she was okay as he watched her reflection in the mirror.

This was what Charlotte tried to tell herself, anyway, as she tried to rationalise what had happened last night.

These explanations seemed to make the most sense-when she thought about the situation from Sidney's perspective, anyway-as he had never given Charlotte any undeniable indication or spoken confession that he had real romantic feelings for her, or if he even thought of her at all, beyond their arrangement.

Charlotte might have finally had to admit-if only in her own private thoughts-that she did have not-so-platonic feelings for Sidney after her dream last night, but still it felt easier-safer, somehow-to simply believe that the moment in front of the mirror had just been a product of her overactive imagination, given her current circumstances, and where she was heading today-to a place where she might find Charles.

She already knew that it would be a struggle to fight off her blushes when she saw Sidney face-to-face later today, with the images of a very handsome, shirtless Sidney Parker in her dream still fresh in her mind.

If Charlotte gave into her attraction to Sidney-her feelings for him that her recent dream had revealed to her, then she was only going to make things even more difficult for herself. She could potentially be facing a rejection from a man who likely did not feel the same attraction, not to mention that she herself would be rejecting all her reasons for taking the time and effort to come to London in the first place. She wasn't sure if she could justify closing her Willingden bookshop for a week, and potentially losing a lot of business during the closure, if she turned her back on her search for Charles now. And, from an outsider's perspective, if she stopped trying to achieve her goal, this would look like something else that she had failed at.

No matter how she tried to rationalise it however, Charlotte still couldn't shake off the feeling that her recent dream had been trying to tell her something important.

Keen to distract herself from her confusing thoughts, Charlotte started to pack up her belongings.

Sidney would not be arriving at the hotel to take her to Windsor until the afternoon, as he had to attend the 'damage control meeting', and Tom and Mary had agreed to let Charlotte check out of her room late, but still Charlotte wanted to be organised, so she could be ready to leave as soon as Sidney arrived, as she didn't want to miss a single moment in Windsor. She might have woken up early due to the images from her dream weighing heavily on her mind, but this had done nothing to dampen her enthusiasm for the day ahead.

She also wanted to make the most of her remaining time in London, although she was still trying to decide where she should visit in the city this morning.

As she was packing, Charlotte noticed the beautiful silver shawl that Angela had lent her to wear at the party last night. Charlotte headed to Angela's room to give the shawl back to her, so grateful that Angela had allowed her to wear it, and not wanting to keep it for too long, in case Angela was looking for it.

When she knocked on the door of Angela's room and Angela opened it, the two women got into conversation about Charlotte's plans for the morning, and how she would be checking out of the hotel this afternoon.

It wasn't long before Angela offered to help Charlotte pack. Charlotte tried to dissuade her, as she knew that Angela was in London on holiday, and she too would be leaving the city soon, and Charlotte didn't want her to waste her free time, and what was left of her time in the city, on a task that wasn't exactly fun or interesting, but Angela insisted she would be happy to help. Charlotte had a feeling that Angela wanted an excuse to spend a bit more time with Charlotte before she left.

The two women returned to Charlotte's room, and while Angela helped her to pack, Charlotte told her about the party yesterday evening, leaving out a few key details, such as the discovery of Sidney's identity as a royal bodyguard, and her moment with Sidney in front of the mirror in her room.

Charlotte also talked about her plans to head to Windsor today as Angela helped her to place a few folded items of clothing in her suitcase, and she told her new friend how much she was looking forward to attending the ball, before Angela told her stories of her own about parties and events that she had attended over the years in Windsor.

As she talked, Charlotte thought about how she would miss Angela's company, when she left London. The elderly woman's presence in the hotel this week had been a welcome one.

When Angela started to describe a few of the beautiful dresses she had worn to attend the balls at Windsor Castle, it occurred to Charlotte that she didn't really have a new dress to wear for tonight's ball in Windsor.

She was just silently debating whether she should use her remaining couple of hours in the city to buy a new dress for the ball, or whether she should just try to make do with one of the other pretty dresses she'd brought to London (even though those dresses were not as pretty or as elegant as the dresses that Susan sold at her shop), as Charlotte knew she really shouldn't be spending more money, given how much it had already cost her to travel to London in the first place, and she could then use the time she would have spent dress shopping to do something else in the city that might be more productive in her search for Charles, when she was distracted by the sound of a knock on her hotel room door.

While Angela continued to (very helpfully) fold up a couple of Charlotte's dresses and T-shirts for her, Charlotte went to open the door.

Tom was standing on the other side of the doorway. He was carrying a parcel, which was wrapped in thick brown paper, but Charlotte barely noticed the parcel at first, because she was too busy asking Tom whether Mary was okay.

Tom reassured Charlotte that Mary was fine-she was apparently recovering well, and the doctor had said her wrist wasn't broken, and Mary was not going to let her injury lessen her enthusiasm for her upcoming lunch with Georgiana.

Tom then explained that he had come into work for a little while to check that everything was alright at the hotel before taking the rest of the day off, and also that both he and Mary hoped to be at the hotel to say goodbye to Charlotte when she checked out after lunch.

"Oh, this arrived for you this morning," said Tom, after he had talked for a few more minutes about Mary. He held out the rather large parcel to Charlotte.

Charlotte frowned in confusion-she hadn't ordered anything to be sent to the hotel, and she hadn't been expecting anyone to send anything to her here. And yet, the parcel must have been sent by someone close to her, if they knew that she was staying here.

After Tom (who also had no clue who had sent the parcel) had headed back downstairs, Charlotte cautiously unwrapped the parcel, letting out a gasp of surprise when she realised that the package contained a beautiful golden dress that seemed to have been made from the finest silk.

Angela looked similarly impressed.

A quick glance at the label on the dress showed the familiar logo from Susan's shop in Willingden, and Charlotte couldn't help but smile, while also shaking her head in disbelief.

It was as though Susan had known somehow, that Charlotte would have another party to attend by the end of the week and would be needing a new, beautiful dress for the event. Charlotte still wasn't sure how Susan was so good at predicting the future.

Not for the first time, Charlotte felt so grateful for Susan's generosity, and she wasn't sure how she could ever repay her for her kindness.

Charlotte ended up trying on the dress that Susan had recently sent to her, really hoping it would fit and wanting to see how it would look on her before she got ready for the ball tonight.

Luckily, Susan had picked a dress that was a perfect fit. Charlotte stood in front of her hotel room mirror as she admired the dress, trying hard not to think about the moment she had shared with Sidney in front of the same mirror last night.

She looked over her shoulder to see Angela's reaction to her dress. Angela smiled fondly, telling Charlotte that she looked wonderful, although the look in her eyes suggested she had gone somewhere else, perhaps into her memories of years that had passed.

"Seeing you in that dress…" said Angela after a few moments, "I'm reminded of a woman who I used to know, when we were both young, who once wore a dress like that…"

A strange mix of happiness, nostalgia and sadness all seemed to cross Angela's face at once.

"She was a dear friend of my brother's," Angela continued. "She wore a dress very similar to the one you're wearing now when she attended a ball in London, many years ago. My brother cared deeply for her…but it was not meant to be," she said with a sorrowful sigh, while Charlotte turned slowly away from the mirror to face Angela, the surprise probably written all over her face.

Could it be…?

"Circumstances conspired against them," Angela explained, talking more to herself than to Charlotte. "My brother was weighed down by the rules and expectations that went with my family's status in society, along with the expectations of being the only boy among his siblings at a time when he was expected to help support his sisters financially until he wed, not to mention our secret financial struggles…and our parents sought a more suitable match. He never got the chance to live his life with the young woman who'd worn the beautiful golden dress," she said with another sigh. "My brother has found happiness in his life," she added after another pause, "but I often sensed an air of regret about him over the years, a feeling of 'what-if?'…it was a regret that never truly left him."

Charlotte was now trying not to stare wide-eyed at Angela. It truly was a small world, if Angela's brother really was who Charlotte thought he was.

It also seemed possible that fate and the universe were conspiring to put Charlotte in the path of people with shared histories who could teach her important lessons on her journey.

Charlotte wondered what the ultimate lesson that the universe wanted to teach her on this journey would be.

"Charlotte," said Angela, her tone determined, "if you have the chance to find true happiness on your journey, then you must seize that opportunity. Don't let an opportunity to be with your true love pass you by. Be honest with yourself, about how you feel and what you want out of life. Don't let any obstacles stand in your way, and don't life your life regretting what might have been."

Charlotte couldn't help but wonder if Angela's words of wisdom would resonate even more by this time tomorrow, depending on what happened, and what she discovered, during her adventures in Windsor.

It wasn't long before Angela had to leave the hotel for the day, as she'd arranged to meet some friends for lunch before taking a tour of the city with them.

The two women exchanged contact details, vowing to stay in touch after Charlotte left London.

After Charlotte and Angela had finished saying their goodbyes, Angela headed out while Charlotte finished the last bit of her packing, before she too left her hotel room so she could grab a quick breakfast and head out for a couple of hours.

Charlotte was lost in her thoughts as she walked through the upstairs hotel corridor, and she started to head downstairs.

She thought about Angela, and her family history. If she was who Charlotte thought she was, then had Angela deliberately headed to this particular hotel this week, to catch a glimpse of what her brother's future might have been, if circumstances had played out differently?

Or perhaps Angela had wanted to learn more about the people she would have shared a connection with through her brother's marriage, if he had got engaged to the woman he had loved all those years ago.

Maybe she'd wanted to ensure that the woman her brother had rejected due to family obligations had still managed to live a happy, fulfilled life with family members who were dear to her, despite her past heartbreak.

Did Angela still believe there was a chance her brother might end up with 'the one that got away' in his later life? Had circumstances changed recently? Something to give Angela renewed hope of a reunion?

Whatever the reason, Charlotte was certain that Angela had not booked to stay at Tom and Mary Parkers' hotel by accident or by chance.

Charlotte then wondered if Lady Denham was aware that the sister of the man she had once hoped to marry was staying at the Parkers' hotel this week.

She was annoyed at herself for not asking Angela for more details; for not admitting that she might actually know the woman who had once shared a connection with Angela's brother…but she hadn't been sure if the moment had been right to do so.

Perhaps Lady Denham also wouldn't have wanted Charlotte to get too involved, as the memory of her past heartbreak was clearly still a painful one to her. Charlotte decided it would be best to confide in someone close to Lady Denham first, to find out more about the situation.

Charlotte also wondered if she would have the chance to share more with Angela if they stayed in contact after they both left London.

Charlotte then became distracted from her conflicted thoughts as she walked down the stairs and spotted Tom standing behind the Reception desk with what looked like a knowing grin on his face.

"Ah, Charlotte!" he said on noticing her. "Another gift arrived for you a few minutes ago!"

Charlotte frowned at Tom in confusion. One gift had been surprising enough, but she had no idea what else could possibly have been sent to her…

With another grin, Tom nodded in the direction of the half-open living room door, and next moment, much to Charlotte's astonishment, none other than her sister, Alison, appeared from behind the door with a loud cry of, "Surprise!"

"Alison!" Charlotte practically screamed, the sound a mixture of joy and surprise at seeing her sister here, at the hotel, as she ran over to hug her sister.

Her eyes were still wide with shock as she stepped back a little, looking at her sister as though she were merely a figment of her imagination who could vanish at any moment.

"What are you doing here?!" she asked her sister with a smile.

"Well, I'm training not too far from London this weekend," Alison explained, "and I have the morning off, so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to travel into the city to spend some time with my sister and see how her journey to finding true love is going," she finished with a grin.

Charlotte felt another rush of joy on seeing her sister here. Despite her confusion and conflicting feelings after recent events (and dreams), she felt like everything would be okay now that Alison was here; that no matter what else happened today, everything was going to work itself out.

Charlotte was eager to update Alison on how her week had been going, and she was certain that a couple of hours in the city wouldn't be nearly enough time to catch up with her sister, but still she was determined to make the most of every minute.

Charlotte and Alison ate a quick breakfast at the hotel, with Tom generously providing extra food so that Alison could eat something, too, and as she finished eating a slice of toast, Charlotte asked Alison about how her training was going in preparation for her first football match as a player on the England team.

Then Charlotte told Alison about her plans to spend the evening attending a ball at Windsor Castle tonight, which Alison was so thrilled to hear about, believing that fate had intervened to extend Charlotte's trip.

Charlotte also told Alison about the fairytale-themed party she had attended last night.

Alison did not seem at all surprised by the revelation about Sidney's career. "Well, he's always had a bit of a James Bond air about him!" she said with a grin.

The two sisters then headed out to spend a bit of time together in the city.

Charlotte had already thought carefully about where she should spend her last few hours in London-she knew it would be an important decision that would reflect her true priorities, and she knew that she could, and perhaps should, use the limited time she had left in the city to continue her search for Charles; revisit the places where he might work, such as Buckingham Palace or the Tower of London, to increase her chances of finding him…but instead Charlotte decided to follow her intuition and revisit the place that she had already been thinking about going to before Alison's surprise appearance…

Besides, Charlotte tried to silently reason with herself, if she did run into Charles in Windsor later today, then it wouldn't even matter in the grand scheme of things that she hadn't tried harder to search for him in London on her last day in the city.

The sisters ended up travelling by London bus, sitting upstairs to get a better view of the city as it passed them by, with Charlotte explaining to Alison about the place she'd like to visit today, and Alison agreed with this plan.

Although Alison looked happy to be in London today with Charlotte, there was something else in her facial expression, in her eyes, that suggested that she was lost in thought, that she had other things on her mind. It seemed to Charlotte like she had something to say, like there was another reason for her being here today, aside from the obvious, and Charlotte wondered what it could be.

As the bus passed various pastel-coloured houses and London landmarks, Charlotte received a few text messages from Sidney, confirming the plans for the day. He mentioned the staff apartments that had been built within the grounds of Windsor Castle, letting Charlotte know that there was a room available for in her in these apartments, so she could stay overnight in the castle grounds after the ball. He also reminded her that Anna could drive her back to Willingden tomorrow, if she wanted.

"What are you smiling at?" Alison asked Charlotte with a raised eyebrow, as Charlotte read Sidney's messages.

"Nothing," Charlotte said quickly, hurrying to put her phone away.

Alison still looked a bit suspicious, but she didn't push Charlotte for an explanation, which Charlotte was relieved about, as she wasn't sure she would be successful in hiding her blushes if she started talking about Sidney, and Alison would no doubt put two and two together and work out that Charlotte's feelings for Sidney had changed somewhat since she had left Willingden for London only a few days ago.

Charlotte still had no idea how she was going to face Sidney in a couple of hours without her mind being full of the images that had played out in her dream last night, and she didn't need anymore reasons to blush.

It wasn't long before Charlotte and Alison arrived at the beautiful bookshop that Charlotte had visited with Sidney on Wednesday.

Charlotte stood in the centre of the shop with Alison next to her, gazing in awe at the beautiful books all around her, along with the chintz armchairs near the bookshelves, the unique displays of items for sale, and of course the winding wooden staircase that led to the bookshop's upper floor, all of which she had fond memories of viewing with Sidney only three days ago-it felt like a lifetime ago now, as so much had happened since then. Now, Charlotte felt like blushing whenever she thought about Sidney Parker, which she was pretty sure hadn't been the case only a few days ago.

"It's beautiful," said Alison in barely more than a whisper, from where she was standing next to Charlotte, echoing Charlotte's thoughts.

As Charlotte looked from the wooden floors to the vaulted ceiling, she felt yet another twinge of guilt at the idea of being here in the first place, when there were other places she could be visiting instead that would probably be more helpful in her search for Charles, but still she felt in her heart that she was in the right place at the moment, and she was glad to be sharing this experience with her sister.

Despite her conflicting thoughts after her dream last night, Charlotte thought about how lucky she was, to have spent a week in London with Sidney as her wonderful tour guide in the city; how fortunate she was to have her sister here today, if only for a couple of hours; how blessed she was to have had her trip extended by a stroke of luck in the form of an invitation to a ball at Windsor Castle.

After their visit to the bookshop, the sisters walked down the nearest high street, looking for somewhere to go and get a cup of tea.

"I see there was a sign up at the bookshop, saying it's up for sale," Alison commented, as observant as ever.

"I know," said Charlotte with a wistful sigh.

"A bookshop like that would be perfect for you, Charlotte," Alison continued, her tone determined.

"I could never afford it," Charlotte replied with another sigh, reluctant to even dream of such a thing. Alison had to know that a shop like that in London was well out of Charlotte's price range.

"I could help you," Alison suggested, as Charlotte stopped to look at her in confusion. "I will soon have more opportunities to earn a higher income, now that my own dreams are coming true," she explained. "You've always been supportive of my dreams-I remember all the hours you spent watching my football matches and football trials; all the shifts you covered for me at Dad's business when I had football training, and now I want to help you achieve even more of your dreams, Charlotte. And soon, I may be able to do so-"

"Alison, I can't let you do that," Charlotte protested. "You've worked so hard to get your place on the England team, and I would never expect money from-"

"But I want to help," Alison insisted. "The bookshop will be a wonderful place for our family and friends to visit, and I know you could do wonderful things with the place, and maybe it could be like a project that we work on together, whenever I have a moment of free time from training, of course," she added with laughter, "but I'd be happy to help whenever I can."

"It would be next to impossible to even get the owners of the bookshop to consider any offer I make," said Charlotte, already worrying about all the obstacles they could face in this hypothetical scenario. "Not to mention that I already have the bookshop in Willingden, and I don't want to give it up…I'm not sure how I could manage both businesses, and a life divided between two places…"

"Look, it's just something to consider, for now," Alison interjected, her tone reassuring in the face of Charlotte's concerns. "I honestly don't know whether we would be successful in making an offer, or if they already have a buyer lined up, but let's say it was actually possible that an offer would be considered. If it was, then I'm sure you could find a way around all those other obstacles, if the London bookshop was what you truly wanted. And you would have me, and Mum and Dad, to help you, too-Mum might be happy to work more hours at your bookshop in the village, now that she's reducing her hours at Dad's business…Just think about it," she added, when Charlotte opened her mouth to protest again.

And so, Charlotte promised that she would think about it, at least.

Charlotte and Alison eventually discovered a rather unusual coffee shop a short distance from the bookshop, which was located within a church, the unique setting featuring stained glass windows and stone pillars as part of its interior.

Charlotte and Alison each ordered a cup of tea, and then they sat in silence for a little while as Charlotte admired the church's intricate architectural details, and Alison looked lost in thoughts again as she took slow and delicate sips of her tea. It was the same expression she had worn when Charlotte had first wondered if there was something Alison wanted to discuss with her.

Not wanting there to be any secrets between the two of them, it wasn't long before Charlotte ended up telling Alison about her moment with Sidney last night; the moment that had quite possibly been an almost-kiss, and how she was feeling so confused now, after spending the past few days with Sidney, and getting to like him as she got know him better and started to see behind the wall he had put up to the rest of the world, and how her new feelings were in conflict with everything she'd wanted on the night of Lady Denham's ball; everything she'd always thought she wanted; everything she thought she'd travelled to London for in the first place.

She then confided in Alison about all the pressure she was feeling from her social media followers who had seen her posts about travelling to London to find Charles, and were now invested in her journey, and her possible fairytale ending with the man who looked like a prince.

Alison watched Charlotte in contemplative silence as she spoke.

"There's something I've been wanting to show you," said Alison after a few more moments, as she placed her cup back on its saucer.

There was something cautious in Alison's tone, but her expression was determined as she reached into her bag to retrieve a journal that Charlotte recognised as the one that Alison had often written in during her childhood, with Charlotte also once adding a few entries of her own to the same journal.

Despite her confusion about what seemed to Charlotte like a bit of a change of subject after everything she had just confided to her sister, Charlotte couldn't help feeling nostalgic. It had been so long since she had seen that book. The two sisters had often drawn pictures on the pages of what their ballgowns might one day look like, dreaming even back then of receiving an invite to a ball.

A little hesitantly, Alison pushed the journal across the table and directed Charlotte to a few of the earlier pages in the book.

Charlotte recognised a few of the drawings on the pages-she had been there when Alison had originally drawn them. Most of the drawings were depictions of Alison and Charlotte, wearing pretty dresses as they attended Lady Denham's ball-a childhood dream of theirs.

When Charlotte turned the page, she noticed a few drawings of what was supposed to be Alison, dancing at the ball.

Charlotte's eyes were drawn to the name written above a picture of a boy who Alison had drawn herself dancing with at the ball. The same name appeared on several of Alison's drawings on the page…

James.

"Is this…?" Charlotte asked in confusion as she looked from her sister to her old drawings.

Alison nodded, still looking a bit apprehensive. "I know that James Stringer and I were never particularly close," said Alison, "but I suppose I had a bit of a crush on him during our childhood and teenage years, and back then, I thought that maybe he and I would dance at a ball together, one day."

Charlotte raised her eyebrows, surprised at hearing this. She remembered Alison and James talking and laughing together at times, when the children who lived in the village had played games together, all of them forming a tight-knit group who spent a lot of time together due to growing up in a somewhat remote area where not a lot of young people lived, but Charlotte had been unaware that Alison had once had a crush on James.

Charlotte couldn't help thinking about the old photo that James Stringer had recently posted on his social media pages, taken at the teashop in Willingden when Charlotte, Alison and their friends had still been teenagers. It made sense now, the way that Alison had been looking at James in the picture, seemingly oblivious to the camera as she focused only on him.

Did Alison still feel the same way about him? Charlotte wondered, feeling slightly nervous at this idea. James had recently got engaged, after all.

Come to think of it, Alison had seemed a bit distant, when Charlotte had spoken to her on the phone on the day that James had announced his engagement. Her sister's reaction made more sense now.

Charlotte wondered why she hadn't worked it out sooner.

"When we were children," Alison continued, "I often dreamed of going to Lady Denham's ball one day, and I imagined I would probably go with someone like James, if I ever received an invitation. Back then, I thought I had my future planned out-a life in the village, attending balls at Lady Denham's manor house with someone like James Stringer by my side. I suppose I didn't really have the finer details planned out," she added with a shrug. "I was young, and I'd never really been presented with any other options for my future…"

"Did you ever tell him…that you liked him?" Charlotte asked her sister, still feeling a bit befuddled by this conversation. After all, if James knew of Alison's feelings, then he had never said anything about this matter to Charlotte.

Had Alison been carrying this for all these years? Had she been nervous to talk to Charlotte about it?

Charlotte thought of all the times after her breakup with James, when she and Alison had encountered him in Willingden, often with his new girlfriend, and Alison had been very protective of Charlotte, warning her whenever James was nearby, trying to minimise the awkwardness of the situation.

Had Alison privately been feeling as uncomfortable and awkward and upset? Had she been concealing her emotions, for Charlotte's sake?

"No," Alison replied quickly, in response to Charlotte's question. "I suppose I never saw my childhood crush as anything serious, and James never gave me any indication that he felt the same way-that's why I was embarrassed to tell you about it when we were younger, because it seemed so ridiculous to have any sort of crush on a boy who was completely clueless about it, and likely never felt the same way. Besides, James moved away from the village for a bit when we were still teenagers, remember?"

Charlotte nodded. James had left Willingden for a few years to study architecture, and although they had kept in touch with him through occasional messages and phone calls, Charlotte and Alison hadn't been sure back then if James would ever return to the village.

"Anyway," said Alison, looking a bit guilty now, "when James returned to Willingden, I had a vague idea of asking him if he wanted to get a drink sometime, but then, on the evening we all went to the local pub for his welcome home party, I saw the way he looked at you, Charlotte, and I overheard a few of our mutual friends talking about how James was planning on asking you on a date, and I just knew I couldn't overcomplicate things by saying something about how I'd once felt about him…the two of you seemed so happy together that night, talking and laughing, and I could never be the one to stand in the way of your potential happiness…"

"Alison, I'm sorry," said Charlotte, feeling sympathy for her sister, even as she wished that Alison had said something before today, as she thought about how Alison must have felt, on the night of James's welcome home party, when James had asked Charlotte out on a date.

Now it was Alison's turn to look surprised. "Why are you apologising to me?" she asked Charlotte, sounding genuinely confused. "If anything, I should be the one apologising to you, for not telling you about this sooner-"

"I wish you had told me," said Charlotte, not liking the idea that her sister had felt like she had to keep this secret from her, when they so often confided in each other.

"You wouldn't have agreed to go on a date with him, if I'd said anything," Alison insisted. "You would have tried to do the honourable thing…sacrificed your own chance at a relationship, even though he and I would never have ended up together in the first place. And I couldn't let you give up on the chance of a happy relationship, especially when it's so hard to meet people in our village, and you had so little time to meet people, because you were always working so hard at the bookshop."

"But James and I were not each other's happily ever after," Charlotte tried to reason. "You needn't have worried so much about hurting my chances of finding my true love, if such a thing exists."

"But I didn't know that at the time," Alison countered. "And I couldn't risk you throwing away the chance of future happiness, when you'd already held back on finding your own happiness so many times, to be there for others. Anyway, that's not really the point I'm trying to make," she added gently. "I can't really explain it, but I knew this was something I just had to talk to you about today-so there would not be a secret between us, especially now that we are both stepping onto the paths that will hopefully lead to our happy futures; but there's more to it than that…That night, when James asked you on a date, I realised I wasn't the slightest bit upset, in spite of my teenage crush. I only felt happy for you. It seemed right, at the time, for the two of you to date. And you remember I started to play football more often around that time?"

Again, Charlotte nodded.

"Well, that same week," said Alison, "a football scout attended my team's match. The timing was perfect. She told me that I had great potential; that I really could have a bright future ahead of me in professional football. Her words were like a confirmation from the universe. In that moment, it felt like all my dreams were shifting; I finally understood that the images I'd created in my journal of a future I'd once believed would make me happy-a life in Willingden, working at Dad's business and attending balls and other local events with a man like James-were not truly part of the future my soul was destined to be seeking; the universe had other plans for me, I just had to learn how to leave all my old dreams behind and put my trust in the universe to lead me down the right path-the path that would take me to my true purpose, and true happiness."

"Although, it wasn't so easy to say goodbye to the life in Willingden I've always known," Alison continued after a brief pause. "When I heard that James Stringer had got engaged, I was not upset about the engagement itself, but more because it felt like a pointed reminder from the universe that that part of my life was well and truly over; that I was leaving my life in Willingden behind for good, as my hopes and dreams were no longer in the village. And there was a sense of joy in that; to finally know that I had other options for my future; to feel like I was finally doing what I've always wanted to do…but there was also a sense of sadness there, on thinking about what I was leaving behind; there was a sense of finality to it."

Charlotte felt like she could understand this feeling. She had felt it, too, when Alison had first announced that she had been offered a place on the England Women's football team; when she'd understood that Alison would be moving away from Willingden; that Alison's life was going to change, and that Charlotte would not be able to spend as much time with her as she once had. It was a sense of joy mixed in with sadness.

"Please don't hate me," Alison pleaded, when Charlotte looked up at the vaulted ceiling as though searching for guidance from above. "I never wanted to keep any secrets from you! It was just that I also never wanted to do anything to jeopardise the relationship between you and James, and I never felt like my feelings for him were strong enough to give them too much consideration. But the longer I went on without saying anything, the more my worry increased that you would hate me…"

Charlotte thought of the images of Alison she'd seen in her dream, where the dream version of her sister had been burning old newspapers, seemingly eager to get rid of old news. This part of Charlotte's dream made more sense now, on learning this story from Alison's past, and how eager she apparently was to move on from it. It seemed that yet again, her subconscious had been trying to tell her something through her recurring dream.

"I could never hate you, Alison," Charlotte reassured her. "I wish you'd said something sooner, but that doesn't mean I could ever contemplate hating you."

Alison looked relieved, and Charlotte could tell that Alison must have been working up the nerve to tell her this story for a long time.

"There were other times I was thinking of telling you," Alison admitted, "especially after I knew for sure that your relationship with James was over, and you were moving on from him. But it never felt like the right moment…until today, when I woke up early hours this morning with a strong sense that I should tell you as soon as I could…almost like I'd been guided in a dream, as strange as that might sound. It felt like the message would somehow fit in with the journey you're on, and the next part of your journey that you're about to go on."

Charlotte thought about everything that Alison had just told her for a couple of minutes as she finished her tea.

"I know there are all sorts of unspoken rules about dating friends' or siblings' exes," she said, "but if circumstances had been different…if James Stringer had been single after he and I broke up, you know I wouldn't have minded, if you'd dated him," she told her sister. And she meant it, too. "He and I did not exactly have the fairytale romance that the rest of the village thought we had..."

"I know that you wouldn't have minded," said Alison with a sad smile. "You're so understanding like that, Charlotte. But the point is, I don't want to date him-I haven't for a long time. I know now that it would never have felt right, staying in Willingden, dating James and wearing pretty dresses to go to balls. That's not who I am, not really. Living a life like that, it would never have truly felt like I was living my dream, the way I am now. This," said Alison, as she gestured at the open page of her diary that was filled with sketches of women in pretty dresses dancing in ballrooms, "this is your dream, Charlotte. Not mine. I think we've both come to that realisation this week, in our own way."

Alison paused again, as the two sisters were lost in their own thoughts for a few moments.

"What I really want you to know, Charlotte," Alison said finally, "is that I've learned that sometimes, what the universe has planned for us is not what we initially think will make our dreams come true. Sometimes the universe has another plan, a better plan; a plan that will make the wishes you didn't even know you had come true; a plan that will truly make you happy in ways you couldn't even have imagined; a plan that will lead you to your true destiny…What I'm trying to say is…Charlotte, if you reach a crossroads today, or by the end of this journey, or if this trip to London shows you that you want something else, something different to what you originally had planned, then don't be afraid to take a different path."

All too soon, it was time for Alison to depart.

Charlotte said a tearful goodbye to her sister at the train station, making her promise to stay in touch, the two of them trying to arrange a day to meet in person again soon. Charlotte was hoping to go and watch Alison's upcoming football match.

"Think about what I said at the coffee shop," Alison instructed Charlotte, as she was getting on the train. "I really felt strongly that I needed to come and talk to you today about the past, and the possibility of taking a different path from what you had planned, and I think it's no coincidence that I got this feeling on the day you're about to head to Windsor…"

"You're more like Susan than you know," Charlotte told her sister with a fond smile.

After she left the train station, Charlotte headed back to the hotel, with everything that Alison had just revealed to her very much on her mind.

She thought about Alison, Lady Denham and Susan…how they'd been her guides of sorts on this journey, offering in-person advice, as well as visiting her in her dreams. She thought about the stories of past heartbreak that Susan and Lady Denham had told her; how Charlotte had thought a lot about these stories over the past few days, wondering and worrying if and how they could relate to her own story. And now, it turned out that her third 'guide', her sister, had a tale of past heartbreak of her own, of sorts; a story from her past that her dream-self wanted to throw into the flames, to destroy so she could move on from it and leave the past behind her and take bold steps into her future.

Charlotte couldn't help but wonder if there was something linking these three stories; an important message, or lesson that she was supposed to learn from them.

As she took more steps towards the hotel, Charlotte's heart was also starting to beat faster at the prospect of seeing Sidney soon.

She only hoped she could remain calm and composed when she was around him today. She knew she would have to really try, to not think too much about the images of Sidney she'd seen in her dreams last night when she saw him in person.

The images from Charlotte's dream still confused her. A part of her would have expected a man who looked like the 'prince' from the ball at the manor house to have appeared in the tower bedroom with her; a man like the 'prince' she had been searching for in real life, but it seemed her subconscious mind had other ideas; ideas that were difficult for Charlotte to decipher in her waking life.

When Charlotte arrived back at the hotel, she noticed that the door to the hotel living room was ajar.

"Yes, Grandmother, I will see to it that Charlotte gets your gift…"

Charlotte could hear the unmistakeable voice of Sidney Parker, the sound coming from the living room. It sounded like he was talking to his grandmother on the phone.

"Yes, I am aware of all the effort it took to have a gift sent to London at such short notice," Charlotte heard Sidney continue, in what sounded like a voice of practised patience. "I am sure it will be appreciated…"

It seemed that Sidney's grandmother was on speakerphone, because Charlotte could hear her talking to her grandson, her tone of voice more contemplative than stern now: "I was thinking about what you said to me this morning, about the possibility of Rowleigh and I being wed, at this late stage of our lives…and I decided that although marriage is still far from my mind, and although I most certainly don't need your blessing, I am glad that I would have it, all the same."

Charlotte took a couple of steps back from the door. Although she had heard her name being mentioned during this conversation, the conversation now sounded like a personal one, and she did not wish to intrude. After all, she had heard the tale of Lady Denham's past heartbreak, and she knew that the subject of her past lost love was a painful one to her.

She wondered if she should tell Lady Denham that the brother of her former love was possibly staying at the hotel this week, when she returned to Willingden and she saw Lady Denham in person. Until then, she didn't want to get involved in private matters between Sidney and his family.

She also didn't want to walk in on Sidney yet again while he was in the middle of another private conversation.

Sidney wasn't on the phone for much longer.

When Charlotte was certain that his call had ended, she took a few steps closer to the door, so that Sidney could see her from where he was standing in the room.

When Sidney saw her standing in the doorway, he gave her a sort of half-smile that Charlotte had become used to this week-the one that told her he was pleased to see her, but he was still keeping his guard up, and still keeping something of a distance, by not displaying an overly enthusiastic reaction on seeing her. Perhaps he was being even more cautious after the events of last night.

Charlotte was just wondering whether she should join Sidney in the room or not when Sidney beckoned to Charlotte with a slight movement of his head, silently letting her know that he wanted her to come in. The gesture was cool and calm and confident, creating the sense of him being in command of the interaction, and Charlotte had to admit, if only to herself, that it made him look even more attractive.

As Charlotte took a few steps closer to Sidney, she was still thinking about how handsome he looked today, dressed deceptively casually in a black T-shirt and trousers, although the clothes still made him look very professional, like the perfect bodyguard who could go into 'work-mode' at a moment's notice, and each item of clothing had likely been an expensive purchase.

He was also wearing what looked like a pair of designer sunglasses, which were currently perched at the top of his head, and Charlotte noticed a badge in one of his pockets, no doubt some sort of security pass that he used at work.

Sidney seemed to be standing between two worlds at the moment, with one foot in the world of his work, where Charlotte had known him to be moody, distant and guarded whenever she encountered him in Willingden, and one foot in his world outside of work, in London, where Charlotte had got to know him better, and where she believed she had caught more glimpses of who he was when he started to let his guard down-at least, she hoped so, anyway.

Don't blush! Don't blush! Charlotte silently instructed herself as she moved even closer to Sidney in the living room and stopped when she was standing right opposite him.

The images from her dream last night seemed to be at the forefront of her mind now that she was seeing Sidney Parker in person, and she really didn't want to be thinking about Sidney being shirtless in her dream, when real-life Sidney was standing so close to her.

How she wished she could put those images to the back of her mind, to spare her blushes!

She wasn't sure if she was imagining it, but Charlotte thought that Sidney also seemed a little tense today-more so than usual, anyway-and she wondered if the events of last night were the cause of this apparent tension.

"My grandmother has sent a gift for you, for tonight's ball," Sidney said to Charlotte after a quick greeting, as he held out a small, delicate-looking parcel for Charlotte to take.

Charlotte raised her eyebrows in surprise. She hadn't expected to receive anything today, let alone two gifts for the ball.

"She insisted on sending something after she found out you would be attending the ball in Windsor," Sidney explained. "She can be quite persistent, when she gets an idea in her head, as you well know. And, well, she wants to do what she can to ensure you have a good evening…"

Charlotte felt like her hands were shaking a little as Sidney handed her the parcel. She was feeling overwhelmed at both Sidney and Lady Denham's generosity in helping her to get to the ball.

She unwrapped the brown paper of the parcel, and then a few layers of soft, red tissue paper to reveal a little box containing a beautiful golden hairpin, which was shaped like a crown and covered in little, sparkling jewels.

Charlotte widened her eyes as she held the hairpin in her hands, admiring it. She couldn't believe how perfectly it matched the golden dress that Susan had sent to her.

Charlotte was just asking Sidney to pass on her thanks to Lady Denham when they heard Tom and Mary's voices in the hallway.

"Mary!" said Charlotte as she rushed into the hallway where Mary was standing, her wrist in another bandage. She was still worried about Mary, after seeing that she was injured last night. "Are you okay?" she asked her.

"I'm fine, Charlotte," Mary told her with a reassuring smile. "I saw a doctor this morning, and it won't be long before I can remove this bandage, so I'm feeling happy about that. And of course, Tom and I have a lovely lunch planned with Georgiana this afternoon, which I am looking forward to. But right now, I want to be here to say goodbye to you before you head to Windsor."

The sadness in Mary's eyes at talking about Charlotte's departure was reflected in Charlotte's own emotions. As much as she was looking forward to spending the night in Windsor, she was really going to miss London, and the hotel, and her daily conversations with Tom and Mary.

As strange as it might sound to others, she almost felt like she was saying goodbye to friends of hers, rather than the couple who happened to own the hotel she had booked to stay at this week.

The four of them talked for a few minutes about Charlotte and Sidney's upcoming visit to Windsor, with Tom and Mary both commenting on how beautiful a place Windsor Castle was. Charlotte suspected that Sidney had taken them there on visits several times.

When Tom asked Sidney about his dealings with the press last night, Charlotte used the change of subject as her chance to head upstairs to her room to get her luggage, including her beautiful golden dress, although, as she walked away, she could tell that Sidney wasn't saying much to his brother about the press encounter, or his recent meeting. Charlotte knew that Sidney was probably eager to put the incident behind him.

As she retrieved her luggage from her hotel room, Charlotte double checked that she had definitely packed Charles's red jacket and poetry book. She placed the artificial poppy that Charles had given to her at Lady Denham's ball in her shirt pocket, in the hope that the flower would bring her good luck today.

Charlotte got about halfway down the stairs with her luggage when Sidney glanced quickly in her direction and he suddenly seemed to realise that Charlotte was attempting to carry her bags on her own. He did not seem to like this idea, judging by his facial expression.

"I'll carry your bags," he said firmly and decisively, as he started to take rapid steps up the stairs while Charlotte attempted to offer to keep carrying her bags herself, feeling a bit guilty about interrupting Sidney's conversation with his brother and sister-in-law.

"I am well aware that you are perfectly capable of carrying your bags yourself," Sidney added with a hint of both exasperation and amusement, when Charlotte opened her mouth to speak again, perhaps sensing what she was about to say next, "but I am happy to help, and lighten the burden for you."

Out of the corner of her eye, Charlotte noticed Tom and Mary smiling at each other, although she wasn't sure what they were smiling about.

Sidney lifted Charlotte's bags effortlessly and carried them down the rest of the stairs, before also holding out a hand to help Charlotte down the final steps.

Charlotte thought about how she had felt so cared for and protected whenever she had been around Sidney Parker this week. Just like in her dream, there was an air of strength and command to Sidney that supported and guided Charlotte, rather than overpowered her…

But Charlotte didn't want to start getting too attached to the idea of feeling protected in Sidney's presence, when it was unlikely that she would see him very much after this week, when she returned to her life in Willingden, and Sidney's life in London continued. This thought did not make Charlotte feel happy. At all.

"Oh, Charlotte, I almost forgot!" said Tom, as Charlotte moved to stand closer to Mary and Tom again. "Another gift was left here for you today-a certain someone insister that we only give it to you after she left, as she was convinced that you would try to refuse it if she gave it to you herself," he said with a chuckle.

As he hurried off to Reception to retrieve the parcel he had put behind the desk, Tom looked relieved that he had remembered about it just in time, as Charlotte was preparing to leave soon.

Charlotte felt both surprised and confused on hearing that she had received yet another gift, after already receiving two surprise gifts-three, really, if she counted Alison's surprise visit to London. She was fairly certain however, that this gift would be from her sister, given what Tom had just said.

When Tom returned with the parcel, Charlotte could tell by the handwriting on the parcel paper that the gift really was from Alison, and she wondered what her sister could possibly have left for her here.

It wasn't long before Charlotte found out. On opening the beautiful wrapping paper inside the parcel, she discovered that Alison had gifted her a pair of beautiful golden stilettoes, their heels and soles intricately decorated with stunning, unique illustrations of various fairytale princesses dressed in ballgowns.

With the combination of the ballgown from Susan, the crown hairpin from Lady Denham, and now the shoes from Alison, Charlotte had a feeling that, thanks to the three women who had guided her on her journey, she would feel like a fairytale princess when she dressed for tonight's ball at the castle.

Alison, Susan and Lady Denham, Charlotte thought. Three women who had once given up on their dreams, often grieving in private for what they had lost, reluctant to burden others with their pain, and bravely choosing to take a different path in life-a path that had arguably brought them more personal happiness and success…Or perhaps, more accurately, Charlotte decided, a path that had been more aligned with their true purpose.

And now they were doing what they could to help Charlotte find her own happiness.

So many people had helped her along the way on this journey, Charlotte realised. She only hoped that she wasn't going to let anyone down or disappoint them, as it felt like so many people were rooting for her.

All too soon, it was time to leave the hotel.

Charlotte sent a quick message to her sister, expressing her surprise on receiving her gift, and thanking her profusely, while also telling Alison that she shouldn't have, as Charlotte was worried about how much she had spent on the shoes, because she knew Alison wasn't earing a big salary just yet.

Sidney headed outside to put Charlotte's bags (and of course her new shoes and hairpin) in the car while Charlotte said a final goodbye to Mary and Tom.

"I'm going to miss you, Charlotte," said Mary, as she gave Charlotte a hug. "It's been like having a friend here this week, with you staying at the hotel."

"Likewise," said Charlotte, "and I'll miss you, too," she added, feeling sad all over again. She distracted herself by telling Mary and Tom that she hoped they had a nice meal with Georgiana this afternoon.

Sidney came back in to say a quick goodbye to his brother and sister-in-law, promising them that he would visit again when he returned to London.

And then Charlotte headed outside with Sidney, where she noticed a bright red sportscar that had to belong to Sidney parked next to the pavement just outside the hotel. It seemed that Sidney had moved it there while Charlotte had been saying goodbye to Tom and Mary, as Charlotte hadn't noticed it before.

The sportscar looked expensive, and Charlotte was reminded yet again that Sidney was well paid and well rewarded for the inconveniences that he had to put up with as part of his job.

She remembered that it was Anna's day off today, and Sidney had said he would drive her himself to Windsor. Even though this would perhaps only seem like a small change in routine to the outside observer, Charlotte was looking forward to learning even more about who Sidney was in his life outside work, by spending time with him while he was driving his own car to an event that they would both be attending.

Charlotte felt like Sidney was yet again inviting her in to see more of his personal life, especially as he no doubt could have found another driver for the day, but instead it genuinely seemed like he wanted to drive Charlotte in his own car.

Sidney held the car door open for Charlotte so she could get into the car before he got into the driver's seat and started the engine.

Less than a minute later, Charlotte was waving goodbye to Tom and Mary, who were standing outside the hotel, on the stone steps, through the passenger seat window while the car started to move away.

All was quiet for the first few minutes of the journey, which now seemed rather odd to Charlotte, as although she had got used to silence and distance from Sidney back in Willingden, she had now started to get used to easier conversations with Sidney after getting to know him better in London.

Charlotte threw a few furtive glances in Sidney's direction, trying to work out what was wrong-if Sidney regretted getting closer to Charlotte this week, if their shared 'moment' in front of the mirror last night was the cause of Sidney's tension.

He still looked tense as his hands gripped the steering wheel to take a left turn, and he looked like a hundred thoughts were competing for attention in his mind. He also looked like he had something he wanted to say but didn't quite know how to say it.

In the silence, Charlotte tried not to keep thinking of the images of Sidney she'd seen in her dream last night, when she was currently in a close space with real-life Sidney.

Alison's recent words of advice, about the possibility of choosing a different path, also weighed heavily on Charlotte's mind, with Charlotte wondering how this advice applied to her own situation, and wondering whether Alison believed Charlotte had made the right decisions up to now.

Talking of decisions, Charlotte also couldn't stop thinking about Alison's offer to help her financially, if Charlotte wished to put in an offer for the bookshop she liked in London. Was this something that Charlotte should be giving serious thought to? She still wasn't sure. Could she really run a bookshop in London, while also keeping her bookshop in Willingden? Could she live a life between two places, one of which was a big city, after spending all her life so far living in a village?

The silence continued for a little while longer. When Sidney finally spoke, his words surprised Charlotte a little…

"I feel like I owe you an apology," he said, looking genuinely remorseful.

"Whatever for?" Charlotte asked him, feeling a bit confused.

"For promising you at the start of the week that I would keep a distance from the hotel, and then somehow ending up in your hotel room last night, helping you with your dress," he said. "For not telling you myself about the nature of my work, leaving you to discover it from the press. I am careful about who I share that information with, but you deserved to hear the truth directly from me. And of course, for putting you through all that last night with the press-for sending you into a situation with little prior knowledge as to why they might be there, because I had not told you about my job. And for all of that, I am sorry."

"You have nothing to apologise for," Charlotte told Sidney, her tone insistent. And she really meant it, too. "You could not have known that the photographers would be there last night-you did what you could to keep them away, to protect us, and I understand why you had to be secretive about your employment. And I invited you into the hotel this week, after I saw how you went out of your way to help me in London, and I trust you; I would have said something if I had been uncomfortable with you being there. Anyway, it was your hotel before it became the place where I was staying for a few days in London. I had no problem with you being there, even last night. I was grateful for your help, as Mary was injured, and there was nobody else to help me."

Sidney nodded, seemingly satisfied with Charlotte's answer, although he didn't give much else away, in terms of how he was feeling. It looked like his apology had already taken a lot of effort on his part, and now he was reluctant to share anything else.

Despite the seriousness of the conversation, Charlotte couldn't help the way her lips curled up in amusement.

"What is it?" Sidney asked as he glanced in Charlotte's direction, looking a bit wary.

"Oh, it just seems like it's a rare experience, getting an apology from Sidney Parker…I get the impression it doesn't happen very often," Charlotte explained.

"Yes, well, don't get too used to it," Sidney replied hurriedly, although he also looked a bit amused now. "Heartfelt apologies aren't exactly my strong point."

Charlotte laughed, feeling like her reaction had lightened the mood a little. She felt honoured, that she had been one of the people who Sidney had given a rare apology to. But then her expression grew serious again.

Charlotte felt like Sidney's words had eased some of the leftover tension from last night, but still she felt like she had so much she wished to talk to him about; so many questions she wanted to ask him, to know more about him.

Now more than ever, Charlotte was aware that the time she had left to spend with Sidney was quickly coming to an end, as they were both planning to return to their normal lives next week.

Charlotte had shared so many wonderful conversations with Sidney this week, but still she felt like there was never enough time, and that there would be many more conversations that the two of them would never share.

"I sense you have something else you wish to discuss," said Sidney, as he turned the steering wheel a little. It was as though he could somehow read Charlotte's thoughts.

Charlotte looked over at him, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

She noticed the hint of a smile on Sidney's lips at her surprised reaction, but he waited patiently for Charlotte to speak.

Charlotte looked at Sidney for a few more moments, thinking of the many things she wished to ask him…

"Why do you dislike being in Willingden so much?"

The question was out of Charlotte's mouth before she could even think specifically about what she wanted to ask Sidney.

The question surprised even her, as she'd thought she had other, more pressing things to ask him, but it seemed Charlotte's subconscious had yet again had other ideas.

It was as though the question had been at the back of her mind for weeks, if not months. Willingden was her home after all, and Charlotte always enjoyed being there, and she couldn't understand why Sidney acted like each visit there was such a burden and a trial for him.

Sidney threw a curious glance in Charlotte's direction on hearing her question, and then he was quiet for a few moments, looking like he was deep in thought.

"I don't dislike Willingden," he said, finally.

"Really?" Charlotte asked him with a raised eyebrow.

She was sure she was giving Sidney a you-could-have-fooled-me look, but she couldn't help herself. Sidney never looked happy to be in Willingden, whenever Charlotte saw him there, and so she wasn't convinced by his answer.

"My feelings about being in Willingden are…complicated," Sidney said slowly, looking like he was deciding how much he should say. "On the one hand, it is a place where members of my family live, and I do enjoy spending time with them, perhaps despite appearances to the contrary, at times. I also like visiting the village with my nieces and nephew. And I have happy memories of a few of my own childhood holidays there…On the other hand," said Sidney, after a pause, "I now tend to associate being in Willingden with being at work, as several work colleagues of mine often attend the balls at my grandmother's house, and so the balls at the manor house usually turn into professional events. And His Majesty likes to visit the village for some of his holidays, and it is not exactly relaxing, being on security duty when I am there..."

Charlotte was reminded of the newspaper article at the local pub about the King's visit to Willingden. It made sense now, why Sidney often looked like he was 'on duty' when he was in the village, if the King was there, too.

"Then there are…other matters," said Sidney, "which can sometimes make it difficult to be in Willingden…"

"Such as?" Charlotte couldn't resist asking, deciding that she might as well try to find out more while she had the chance, and Sidney would just tell her if he didn't want to share anything else.

"I often have to contend with professional rivals of mine," Sidney replied, "at the ball and in the village-those who do not believe I deserve the professional opportunities I have been afforded. I believe many of them have had their minds poisoned by a certain someone who is a long-time rival of mine, and who has something of a talent when it comes to influencing others."

Sidney didn't even need to say the name of this supposed rival; already, Charlotte knew that he was referring to Edward-the man whose name often seemed to come up in the more negative conversations between Sidney and his friends and family.

Charlotte suspected that Sidney's rivalry with Edward ran deeper than just a standard grudge-it felt more personal than that.

She wondered if she would ever know the full details with regards to Sidney's dealings with Edward, as Sidney seemed reluctant to share the whole story.

Why did the two men dislike each other so much?

Who had started the trouble between them?

Who was truly to blame?

Why did Sidney's friends and family also seem to hold personal grudges against Edward? Was it just because of Edward's history with Esther, or was there more to it?

"And on a slightly more personal level," said Sidney, after another pause, "the village holds rather…painful memories-for me personally, anyway. It can be challenging to see past those negative memories of the past, at times, and see the beauty of the village in the present…"

Charlotte regarded Sidney in surprise at this admission. She was sure that this was the most vulnerable that Sidney had ever got with her, and Charlotte wanted more-to learn more about him and his past; to see beyond the walls he had put up; to understand the experiences that had shaped him and made him the man he was today.

She thought of the elegant, blonde woman who Sidney had once frequently visited Willingden with-Eliza, she remembered Georgiana said her name was. Sidney didn't refer to her directly, but Charlotte was almost certain that the painful memories Sidney had just referred to involved this woman somehow.

Charlotte wondered if it had been a bad breakup, as the end of his relationship seemed to have affected Sidney much more than the end of her relationship with James had affected Charlotte.

Georgiana had hinted that Eliza had got engaged very quickly after the breakup. Who had she got engaged to? Did the man have something to do with Willingden? Was that why Sidney had painful memories of the village? Was Eliza's husband (if she was now married) a professional rival of Sidney's? Did the man attend the balls at Lady Denham's manor? Charlotte doubted that Sidney would ever confirm any of this to her. It was none of her business, after all, but she couldn't help feeling curious.

"Anyway, Willingden's not so bad," said Sidney, in a more light-hearted tone, and Charlotte suspected that he was eager for a change of subject. It was clear he wasn't yet ready to go into further detail with Charlotte about his personal life. Perhaps he would never be ready. "It has its charms, after all," he added. He looked quickly in Charlotte's direction before he returned his focus to the road ahead.

The unspoken tension between Charlotte and Sidney seemed to ease even more after that conversation, with Sidney looking glad to have cleared up any misconceptions Charlotte had about his apparent hatred of Willingden, and Charlotte feeling glad that Sidney had opened up to her a little more; that he had again put his trust in her to tell her more about himself.

She wondered if he would ever go into more detail with her about his professional rivalries, and the apparent grudges some people held against him, as Charlotte was intrigued as to why so many seemed to resent the high-profile job that Sidney had-he was so good at it, after all. But Charlotte told herself that this was unlikely. Already, Sidney struggled to let his guard down, and it was improbable that she would have as many opportunities to have long conversations with Sidney after this week.

Again, this thought made Charlotte feel rather miserable. She knew it would be difficult after this week, to get used to not seeing so much of Sidney Parker.

With the tension eased (for now, anyway), and the busy city streets gradually turning into country lanes, Charlotte and Sidney talked about more positive memories they each had of Willingden, with Charlotte telling Sidney about the performances of Shakespeare plays she so loved to watch in the fields around the village during the summer months.

To Charlotte's amazement, Sidney had a surprisingly detailed knowledge of Shakespeare's plays, and the two of them talked for a little while about the finer points of Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet, and how Charlotte appreciated the beauty in the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet's story. Up until now, the only man who Charlotte had been able to talk to in detail about this topic was Charles, at Lady Denham's ball. She'd never thought she'd end up having a similar discussion with Sidney Parker.

Charlotte liked seeing Sidney like this, driving down country roads wearing sunglasses, talking about Shakespeare and looking relaxed now that he was surrounded by more open space and could drive faster. It was clear that he had taken this route many times before and didn't have to think too much about where was going, so he could instead focus on his conversation with Charlotte. He seemed to be comfortably inhabiting the space between the stern, protective bodyguard and the kinder, more caring man who Charlotte had got to know this week.

Sidney told Charlotte she could choose some music to play if she wanted, trusting her to play around with the expensive-looking screen positioned between the two of them in the car, letting her search through various playlists on the carplay screen, before Charlotte settled on a playlist of classical music, which Sidney didn't object to.

Charlotte then remembered her conversation with Angela this morning, and she felt she should confide in Sidney about what she had possibly discovered. After all their shared experiences this week, Charlotte now trusted Sidney to be discreet with this information, and she thought that someone in Lady Denham's family deserved to know about recent developments.

"I can assure you that my grandmother is already aware that Rowleigh's sister is staying at the hotel," said Sidney gently, when Charlotte told him about Angela. "She doesn't miss much, and she is usually one step ahead of everyone when it comes to finding out information. Even I am impressed at how quickly she finds things out, and I work in royal security."

Charlotte couldn't help a smile at that comment.

"She mentioned Rowleigh's sister to me when she called me this morning," Sidney went on to explain. "She wasn't exactly thrilled about the news, but you shouldn't worry too much about it. My grandmother will no doubt have already formulated a plan to find out more about Rowleigh's sister's reasons for being there."

Charlotte felt relieved that she wouldn't have to feel like she was keeping secrets from anybody, as Lady Denham (and Sidney) apparently already knew about the sister of Lady Denham's past love staying at the hotel this week.

A part of her wished to know how Sidney felt about his grandmother's tale of past heartbreak, but she felt this was too personal a question to ask Sidney at this point in time.

"My grandmother thinks very highly of you, you know," Sidney told Charlotte, with an unwavering certainty in his voice that made Charlotte believe he was telling her the truth. "I know she generally has a rather strange way of showing it," he added, with a hint of a smile, "but it's obvious to those of us who are close to her that she does care about you. She would want you to be happy, whatever path you choose. Besides," he said, "she must have a lot of respect for you, if she told you the story of her past relationship. There are not many people she trusts with that story."

Charlotte smiled at Sidney, feeling touched by his words. Lady Denham often came across as stern and abrupt, but it made Charlotte happy, to hear that Lady Denham cared about her.

As they got closer to Windsor, Sidney talked to Charlotte about the standard etiquette and protocol at royal balls, after Charlotte asked him a bit about the topic, telling her how royal balls usually played out, so Charlotte would know what to expect and wouldn't feel unprepared.

Sidney might have eloquently explained the details of the upcoming event, but this did little to ease Charlotte's nerves about the ball, and she worried that she would feel out of her depth. She hadn't yet processed the fact that there would be at least one royal at the ball tonight, possibly even the King. It all felt a bit overwhelming. Exciting and wonderful, but overwhelming all the same. She was glad that Sidney would also be attending the ball tonight, as she felt that his presence would ease her nerves somewhat.

Charlotte and Sidney had been travelling for almost an hour when they started to encounter rather a lot of traffic on the roads leading into Windsor. It almost seemed like half of the population of London was travelling to London today. Perhaps a lot of the people in the cars were also heading to the castle to attend the ball this evening.

After about fifteen minutes of only moving slowly in the car, it was clear that Sidney was getting restless waiting in the long line of traffic. Charlotte was sure that this was something Sidney rarely had to deal with when he was working…she had no doubt that a path was always made for him, when he was travelling with the King. Besides, Sidney's car seemed to be built for driving fast on open country roads, not moving slowly in a line of traffic.

"I was thinking…" said Sidney after a few more minutes, "…we are not too far from Windsor Great Park. There's an avenue in the park known as The Long Walk, which leads directly to one of the entrances to Windsor Castle-those entrances gates would be accessible on foot if we walked that way, and perhaps we could arrive there quicker than we would if we had to wait to get through all this traffic. It could be an option, if you don't mind the walk? I would just have to sort out the logistics of it…"

Charlotte nodded eagerly, agreeing to the plan. She had read a bit about Windsor Great Park online, and she'd found out that it contained numerous gardens, woodland, and even a large population of deer. Not to mention that there would be nice views of Windsor Castle from the parkland. Charlotte knew that she would enjoy visiting the park, and she thought it would be good to stretch her legs and get some fresh air after being in the car for a while.

Sidney managed to move out of the main line of traffic onto a quieter road, before he found somewhere to park in a quiet car park not too far from the park, and then he made a phone call to arrange for a member of staff from the castle to come and collect his car for him and drive it into the castle grounds, as well as notifying the staff who were stationed at the George IV Gateway-the castle gates which were located at the northern end of The Long Walk-that he would be walking that way soon, so that a member of staff could let Sidney and Charlotte in when they arrived.

Charlotte still couldn't fail to be surprised at the command that Sidney held over those connected to royalty; so many people seemed respect him, and they listened to what he had to say and acted on his orders.

It wasn't long before a very official-looking elderly man arrived at the car, and Sidney handed him his keys.

Sidney reassured Charlotte that her luggage would be in safe hands and he said it would be transported to the room she was staying in for the night on castle grounds, so Charlotte only brought her small handbag with her, which was only light as it didn't contain much-only the essentials such as her phone.

And then she and Sidney headed towards Windsor Great Park, which was only a short walk away.

The Long Walk was a historic tree-lined avenue that stretched through Windsor Great Park. Sidney also explained to Charlotte that the avenue served as a route for royal processions and ceremonies, and that large crowds often gathered for significant royal events.

Today, the park wasn't very busy, and it was mainly small groups of tourists that populated the path leading towards Windsor Castle.

Much to her delight, Charlotte soon noticed a few horse-drawn carriages, with a few couples sitting in the carriages, and she thought about how romantic and fairytale-like it would be, to travel in a horse-drawn carriage in this park with a romantic partner. It seemed like the perfect date for couples.

Charlotte then saw a group of people horse-riding near the path. The people on the horses all seemed to know Sidney, as they waved and smiled at him, and greeted him by his first name, as they rode past Charlotte and Sidney.

Sidney told Charlotte that there were a couple of riding schools nearby, and that horse-riding on the Windsor estate was available to members of the Windsor Great Park equestrian club.

Charlotte imagined that Sidney saw the people from the local horse-riding school on quite a regular basis, when he was working in Windsor.

They walked for a little while longer in comfortable silence, with Charlotte admiring her surroundings and taking a few photos as they got ever closer to the castle gates, which apparently provided a formal entrance to the castle for state visits and royal receptions, and led to the castle's central area, according to the facts that Sidney was sharing with her.

Then, suddenly, Charlotte saw something in the distance, which instantly caught her eye...

The man who she could just make out beyond the castle gates in the distance, who was dressed in red and black, had beautiful golden curls in his hair, and although Charlotte couldn't see his face clearly, he had the stance and the build of the prince-like man who Charlotte had encountered at Lady Denham's ball, not to mention the same graceful movements as he eased his way through the small crowd that had gathered on the other side of the castle gates.

"There! Over there!" Charlotte exclaimed as she came to a sudden halt, her heart already starting to beat faster as the adrenaline seemed to rush through her body, as though it were preparing for some sort of battle.

Sidney, who had been distracted saying hello to two of the horse-riding instructors who had just arrived at the park, seemed rather confused as to what, or who, had Charlotte so enthralled, until Charlotte gestured with her hands in the direction of the castle gates, trying to point Sidney in the right direction.

"I think the man with blond hair who I just saw on the other side of the gates might be the man I met at your grandmother's ball," Charlotte explained, sounding rather breathless, even to her own ears. Her voice was barely above a whisper now, as though any loud noises or sudden movements might scare the man away somehow, or make him almost impossible to find again.

Charlotte could barely contain her excitement, but Sidney did not look particularly pleased by this sudden turn of events, which was a bit strange, really, Charlotte thought, when he had been so eager to help her up to now. Charlotte wondered if Sidney was thinking that she was only imagining that she could see a man who looked like Charles beyond the gates.

Was this really happening? Charlotte wondered. Had the universe truly reunited her with Charles, despite all the odds being against such a thing happening in real life? Was it really him? Had Charlotte really been granted some sort of wish?

Charlotte was having trouble pointing the man out to Sidney, as they were still standing quite far from the gates, and he also kept disappearing behind groups of other people who were gathered near the steps leading up to the castle. They were probably guests who were just arriving for tonight's ball. It was hard to locate the man among the crowd, and he was still too far away for Charlotte to see his face properly.

But still, Charlotte couldn't shake off the feeling that it really was him, and Sidney finally seemed to take her word for it, even though it was clear that he was struggling to locate the blond man among many other guests who were gathered outside the castle.

"We should try to move closer to the gates," said Sidney, each word he spoke sounding strained, for some reason, "so that your mystery man doesn't disappear again before you can get a better look at him. If he heads into the castle, he will prove even more difficult to find…"

"If only we could get there a bit faster," Charlotte complained, as she started to pick up her pace, struggling to keep the blond man in her sight, with so many other people around him.

She knew that she and Sidney could run the rest of the way to the gates, or she could let Sidney run ahead of her, as he was much faster than she was, but still Charlotte doubted she would arrive at the entrance gates and get through them quick enough before the man headed inside or to another part of the castle before Charlotte could get close to him and see if he really was the man from the ball.

Rationally, Charlotte knew it was unlikely that this man was suddenly going to just leave the castle entirely in the next few minutes (although this was certainly a worrying possibility, now that Charlotte's thoughts were becoming more anxious), because if he was at the castle now, it was likely he would also be attending the ball tonight, and so he wouldn't go far this afternoon, but Charlotte really didn't want to wait much longer to discover if the man was Charles, and if he was who she thought he was, then she wanted to have the chance to talk to him before the ball started, as there would likely be so much going on at the ball that it would be difficult to have a more substantial conversation.

Just when Charlotte was about to give up on coming up with a decent plan of action, she heard Sidney speak: "I have an idea…" he said, before he started to head in the direction of the group of horse-riders, most of whom had dismounted their horses now, probably to take a break.

For a few moments, Charlotte watched in confusion as Sidney conversed with the people from the local riding school. He occasionally gestured in Charlotte's direction, and in the direction of the gates as he spoke to a man and a woman who were a couple of the riding instructors of the group.

And then Sidney returned to Charlotte, leading a majestic white horse with hair so bright it almost looked silver. The horse reminded Charlotte of the unicorn from her recurring dream. She also noticed that Sidney carried two riding helmets in his other hand.

"The instructors from the riding school have allowed us to borrow one of their horses for a few minutes," Sidney explained, as he nodded in the direction of the castle gates. "If you were comfortable with getting to the gates on horseback, we might get there faster…?"

"Let me guess," said Charlotte with a smile, momentarily distracted from the man with blond hair who kept fading in and out of view on the other side of the gates, "horse-riding is yet another talent of yours?"

"Something like that," said Sidney, looking almost bashful at being good at something yet again. "I first learned during my childhood, in Sanditon and in the fields around Willingden," he said, with a hint of a smile. "When I moved to London, it's something I didn't think I'd have the time to do again, but then I started working as a bodyguard, and well, there are plenty of horses that live on the castle grounds, and the royals are fans of horse-riding, and they are happy to let their staff ride on the horses through the grounds."

Of course, Charlotte thought. This was probably yet another skill that Sidney had honed to perfection over the years. It seemed there wasn't much he couldn't do. No wonder he had such a high-profile job, with all the talents he had.

"Of course, we could just try running fast to the gates," said Sidney, as he gave the horse a reassuring pat on its side, perhaps interpreting Charlotte's look of surprise about this turn of events as hesitation. "Or I could go on the horse alone, if you are reluctant to-"

"No, let's do this together," said Charlotte, as she looked from Sidney to the horse with its soulful eyes and gleaming hair.

It felt like it had been years since she herself had had horse-riding lessons in the countryside around Willingden, and for a while now Charlotte had been eager to go horse-riding again. She just never seemed to have the time, with all the hours she spent working at the bookshop.

Maybe Sidney had got this idea in the first place because he thought it was something Charlotte would have fun doing.

Sidney's idea of the two of them riding towards the castle gates on a white horse felt like an adventure, like a moment taken straight from a book of fairytales. It was certainly a way to arrive in style!

Charlotte knew that she could attempt to get to the gates on her own horse, but she suspected that Sidney was much better at this than she was, as it had been so long since she had had lessons, and she would be out of practice, and so she preferred for Sidney to take the lead.

Besides, Charlotte didn't want to get separated from Sidney, not now. Deep down, something was telling her that one way or another, she would need Sidney by her side for whatever was about to happen next.

And so, it was decided on.

Sidney took out a walkie-talkie that he must have been carrying with him, and he spoke into it in a low voice, looking every inch the bodyguard now.

Charlotte guessed that Sidney was probably communicating with the staff stationed at the gates, so they would not be startled when a horse suddenly appeared at the gates after galloping towards them, or assume that there was any kind of security threat.

They put on their helmets and Sidney did a few last-minute safety checks while Charlotte gently stroked the horse's mane.

Sidney helped Charlotte onto the horse before getting on himself.

Everything happened quickly after that. After another quick check to make sure that the horse was okay, Sidney instructed Charlotte to hold on tight, and then they were off, with the horse picking up speed as they moved closer to the castle.

And it was exhilarating. Charlotte truly felt like a character in a story, riding off into the sunset, or even into battle. Either way, she felt like she was riding into her next adventure…maybe even her happily ever after.

It was like the events of her recurring dream were starting to come true. Perhaps she was finally on the right path.

The students and instructors from the riding school followed behind Charlotte and Sidney on their horses, acting as a 'guard of honour' of sorts for the two of them.

The experience was so surreal that Charlotte wasn't sure that anybody would believe her when she told them about it. Riding on a white horse in a royal park, surrounded by horse-drawn carriages, heading towards a royal castle…It was one of those you-had-to-be-there moments. Even Alison might take some convincing that it had actually happened.

The experience of riding on the back of horse might have been nerve-wracking, but Charlotte did not feel frightened, with Sidney taking the reins. She trusted him, to get them safely to where they needed to be.

As the world continued to rush past, and Charlotte felt the breeze rushing through her hair, it was thrilling for her, to be here with Sidney, to be sharing this moment with him.

She might not have thought so this time last week, but right now, there was nobody else Charlotte would rather be experiencing this moment with.

And then they were at the gates.

Hurriedly, Sidney jumped down from the horse before he helped Charlotte to get down.

Charlotte and Sidney locked eyes, silently sharing in the thrill of what had just happened; the triumph, the exhilaration of what they had just experienced together.

For a few moments, for Charlotte, the world around them seemed to move in slow motion after her surroundings had moved so fast when she'd been on the horse. It was like nobody else existed but the two of them.

Then Charlotte heard all the excited chatter coming from the other side of the gate, and she was suddenly reminded why she was here in the first place. Almost reluctantly, she tore her eyes away from Sidney's.

Sidney went to talk to the guards at the gates while Charlotte gently stroked the horse's silky mane in thanks before handing her back to the riding school instructors who had been sharing another of the horses while they caught up with Charlotte and Sidney.

Charlotte thanked the people from the riding school before she headed over to join Sidney, who was still speaking to the guards. All the while, Charlotte was trying to locate the man with blond hair who she'd seen a few minutes ago.

After a quick security check, the guards opened the gates, letting Charlotte and Sidney in, which Charlotte knew would likely not have happened for her if she hadn't been here with Sidney. It helped, she thought, to know people who worked with the royals.

It was only when they were through the gates that Charlotte saw the man with blond curls again. He was just visible behind a group of women.

Her heart beating faster, Charlotte took a few steps closer to him, trying to see his face clearly.

The man turned around a little more to talk to somebody else, his face more visible now, and Charlotte let out a gasp.

The man hadn't seen Charlotte yet, but Charlotte had seem him...

It was him! Charles! The man she had met at the ball!

He looked exactly the same as she remembered, even though he wasn't currently wearing the jacket he had worn at the ball.

She had found Charles at last, against near impossible odds!

"There! Right there!" she said to Sidney when he caught up with her, pointing in Charles's direction, feeling shocked more than anything. She still couldn't quite believe that this was happening.

Sidney scanned the crowd, looking a bit lost for a few moments, clearly trying to work out who Charlotte was pointing at.

Then, his look of confusion turned into something else. Charlotte could tell the exact moment Sidney laid eyes on Charles, because his eyes widened, first in obvious recognition, then perhaps in shock, although it didn't look like a good kind of shocked...but Charlotte wasn't quite sure, as she had no idea why Sidney would be reacting that way in the first place.

Then, it was as though a storm cloud passed over Sidney's face as he looked right at the man with blond curls who looked to Charlotte like a prince. And yet, it was clear that he was no prince to Sidney. Charlotte felt like she finally understood the expression 'a face like thunder'.

As quick as lightning, Sidney moved to stand in front of Charlotte, his hands held out in a protective stance, as though he needed to defend her from something, or someone, dangerous.

In that moment, he looked like a knight in a fairytale who was trying to protect the princess from something wicked.